Two African nations allied with Vladimir Putin have refused to allow Russian troops to station on their territory, further complicating the Russian president's geopolitical standing after losing a key ally in Syria with Bashar al-Assad’s ousting.

A military official at al-Khadim air base in eastern Libya said that a half-dozen Russian planes — some coming from Russia and some from Syria — had arrived carrying military equipment since Dec. 8, when Syrian rebels overthrew Russia’s ally, Bashar al-Assad.

Russia is transferring advanced air defense systems and military equipment from its military base in Syria to Libya.

Russia appears to be scrambling to reinforce its bases in Libya as it faces being thrown out of Syria, its other foothold in the Mediterranean.

The transfer marks the end of an era when Russia played an arguably oversized role in determining which countries could operate in Syria’s contested airspace.

Leaders in Rome fear Moscow's warships could be parked "two steps" from Italian shores, as Defense Minister Guido Crosetto put it.

Libya’s prime minister said it would be unacceptable for Russia to move weapons from Syria to the divided OPEC member, where rival powers in the east have previously drawn on Kremlin support.

Russia appears to be moving some of its military equipment from Syria to Africa, where Moscow is expanding its military footprint.

Syria was thus a status symbol for the Kremlin. Putin, who sees Russia as a "great power" on par with the United States and China, attaches much importance to projecting that image in the former Soviet bloc and,

Russia is reportedly moving military equipment from Syria’s Tartus naval base and Khmeimim air base to eastern Libya after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

After the fall of the Assad regime, Russian cargo planes flew equipment from Syria to bases Moscow controls in eastern Libya, according to U.S. and Libyan officials.

Russian military bases in Syria appear to be being packed up and evacuated. If Russia relocates to Libya, experts worry the shift could impact security in the Mediterranean and unbalance the frozen conflict there.