The Swedish Defence Research Agency published a report on Russia's military engagement in the eastern Mediterranean region: ‘From Tartous to Tobruk The Return of Russian Sea Power in the Eastern Mediterranean’. This report describes the fluid political and security environment of the eastern Mediterranean region, its primary actors, and how the Russian Navy has positioned itself to defend Moscow’s interests and pursue new opportunities by naval means. It views Russia’s involvement in Libya appears as being motivated by several factors, including commercial and strategic interests as well as a more general desire to score easy points in a power vacuum. It argues that since 2020 Russia’s intervention in Libya has yet to produce tangible benefits or economic payoffs, but its influence over this strategically located, oil-rich country has grown significantly. The report notes that Russia’s involvement in Libya has been limited to a semi-clandestine, low-cost, and low-risk intervention through private contractors, regional partners, and Libyan proxies - a cost-effective policy.
Read the report here.