All Eyes on Wagner

Identifying Russian activities at Al Khadim Air Base
All Eyes On Wagner was able to identify and follow the journey of an employee of a Russian entity specializing in the extraction of natural resources from the Libyan air base of al Khadim to the Ndassima mine controlled by Wagner in the Central African Republic . Although it was targeted by at least one airstrike, al Khadim remains one of the Russian outposts in Libya. It is used not only by personnel employed at the air base, but also as a transit point used by civilians working in mines controlled by Wagner in the Central African Republic.
Key points:
- Al Khadim appears to be a key link in the Wagner group’s supply and human resources chain between Libya and the Central African Republic. By following an employee of a mining company linked to Wagner’s operations in the Central African Republic, All Eyes on Wagner identified two complexes, one used as a transit accommodation center between Libya and the Central African Republic, and another apparently used by staff employed throughout the country. Khadim. A compound located within the perimeter of the air base also appears to house former Russian military personnel – perhaps still active – as well as Syrians.
- By following an employee of a mining company linked to Wagner’s operations in the Central African Republic, All Eyes on Wagner identified two complexes, one used as a transit accommodation center between Libya and the Central African Republic, and another apparently used by personnel employed throughout the al Khadim base.
- A compound within the airbase perimeter also appears to house former Russian military personnel – perhaps still active – as well as Syrian citizens.
From the Arctic to Bangui
A former Gazprom employee, keen to recount his adventures on Instagram, published on May 7, 2023 several photos of what he calls “a stopover in Libya […] a necessary step on the road to the Czech Republic”. CZ is the acronym commonly used to describe the Central African Republic (Tsaritsyno). Our man, a driller who previously worked for Gazprom in the Arctic, documented his journey from Libya to the Central African Republic on Instagram.
All Eyes On Wagner was able to determine precisely where these photos depicting a dormitory in a metal shed were taken. The location through which the employee transited from Libya to the Central African Republic is a secure compound located 8 km north of the Libyan al Khadim air base, east of Benghazi.
Al Khadim is regularly cited as one of the main hubs from which the Wagner Group and its subsidiaries operate in Libya. All Eyes On Wagner demonstrated the use of the base to transfer weapons from Libya to Sudan. In late June 2023, an airstrike carried out by an undetermined actor destroyed an Ilyushin IL76 allegedly chartered by the Wagner Group.
Thanks to photos posted by our driller, we were able to confirm that Al Khadim, and more specifically the complex located north of the main air base, was used as transit accommodation by the Wagner Group and its affiliated entities to the Central African Republic.
The features visible in the photos correspond exactly to those observed on the installation, and we were able to determine the point from which these photos were taken. The number of beds shown in one of the photos suggests that the facility can be used by at least 100 people.
After transiting Al Khadim, our digger arrived in the Central African Republic, where his Instagram frenzy continued unabated. On May 23, 2023, he posted a photo of himself on Russia Avenue in Djoubissi. The main street of Djoubissi was renamed in December 2022, and inaugurated “Russia Avenue” in January 2023. Our man published a selfie at the very place where the avenue was inaugurated.
Following his journey on “Russia Avenue”, several selfies were published from the accommodation site used in the Central African Republic. The location where the photos were taken was identified as the site hosting the Ndassima gold mine, a site controlled by Wagner.
Thanks to current satellite images, we were unable to determine the exact point from which the photo was taken. The characteristics of the photo nevertheless correspond to those observed on the accommodation block of the Ndassima mine.
Activities at Al Khadim Air Base
The Al Khadim base itself appears to regularly host Russian personnel. Thanks to social media geolocation tools, we were able to identify a Russian citizen deployed in al Kadim. This person was a soldier with the 102nd Motorized Infantry Division, but we were unable to determine if he was still serving in their ranks. We were also able to identify a Syrian Telegram user.
Throughout January 2024, the Telegram account belonging to this individual was located in a secure compound within the airbase perimeter. Accounts were located with greater precision by running multiple geolocation searches around the perimeter of the base, allowing triangulation to determine where they are/were located.
The location appears to be a heavily fortified complex protected by at least two layers of sand fortifications and HESCO bastion walls. Looking at satellite images dated August 2023 and January 2024, the complex does not appear to have expanded and was still in use in January 2024, as vehicles can be seen.
Ties with the Russian army
A reverse search of the username on several social media platforms revealed that the Telegram account “Павел” was serving in 2018 within the Russian Defense Ministry. He posted a photo of his unit patch. He posted several selfies of himself wearing a Russian military uniform bearing the same unit patches.
This patch is worn by soldiers of the 102nd Motorized Infantry Regiment of the 150th Mechanized Division based in Rostov. We were unable to determine whether the Telegram user identified as al Khadim was still serving with the 102nd.
Libya back in the Russian game?
Since the death of Prigozhin in August 2023, the Russian Ministry of Defense has relaunched discussions with Libya and Marshal Haftar. The Russian Defense Ministry delegation led by Yunus Bek Yevkurov has visited Libya four times since August 2022 and was seen by commentators as a major new boost for Russian engagement in the country. Marshal Haftar was also invited to Moscow in September 2023 after being considered “an imperfect and outmatched military leader” by Russian private agents in Libya in 2020. It appears Russia has changed its mind and is here to stay and extend with a direct influence on the Mediterranean Sea.
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