Russian Warship Hosts Libya’s Haftar as Putin Courts New Ally
- Eastern commander visits Russian aircaft carrier in Tobruk
- Haftar received medical supplies for fighters and civilians
The Admiral Kuznetsov
Photographer: Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation via APThis article is for subscribers only.
Khalifa Haftar toured Russia’s aircraft carrier anchored off the Libyan coast and held a video call with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the biggest sign yet of growing ties between the Kremlin and the eastern Libyan-based military commander.
Haftar boarded the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov as it was relocating from Syrian waters to a home port in Russia, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday. The ship was anchored off Libya’s city of Tobruk, according to Irrish Syed, head of the foreign media department in the country’s east.