Is Russia preparing to get “deeply” involved in Libya as well after Syria?

As is known, the United Nations-backed Tripoli government In Libya has been in conflict with Libyan National Army Commander Khalifa HAFTER. It goes without saying this conflict opened a new area of interest for superpowers such as the USA and certainly Russia a while ago.

Several comments have been made on the issue; According to a US intelligence official, Russia’s aim in Libya is to “reaffirm the influence of the Soviet Union in the Gaddafi era“. A Western diplomat on the other hand has argued that Russia’s main focus is on oil sources.

Experts in the political arena comment that the move made by Russia certainly has to do with intentions of enhancing its presence in the Mediterranean and indeed in a region right next to Western Europe. Consequently, this move has created serious concerns for Washington for a long while as Libya is known to be an oil-rich country of highest strategic importance for the USA.

Some comment that Russia wants to increase its influence in Libya and thus it was claimed that it had placed its special forces in Egypt. According to some major news agencies, Russian troops were deployed on a military base near Egypt’s Libyan border. The agency informed that it had some Western diplomats (as well as those from Egypt and USA) confirm this information. It was reported a diplomat (speaking on condition of anonymity) had said, “It is clear that the Egyptians are allowing Russia to use bases to increase its influence in Libya. According to the allegations, training exercises are organized in Egypt”. It was also reported that the base where Russian special forces and unmanned aerial vehicles were located was in the town of Sidi Barrani, about 100 kilometers from the Egyptian-Libya border.

At the time, Egyptian army spokesman Tamer al-Rifai had refused concerned news, saying there were no foreign troops on Egyptian territory. Egyptian security sources, who spoke to Reuters, however, confirmed the presence of a Russian special operation unit.

So, the question goes; “Is PUTIN preparing to get deeply involved in Libya as well, after Syria?”