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.

Two African states are frustrating Moscow's efforts to establish a stronger military presence in the continent following the fall of Assad.

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.

In fact, the scale of the challenge facing Syria is greater than that which confronted Libya in 2011. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown after less than a year of conflict that cost thousands of lives. But on his death, much of the country’s infrastructure remained intact. Libyan rebels had exported oil even before his overthrow.

Russia has begun withdrawing a large amount of military equipment and troops from Syria following the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, according to two US officials and a western official familiar with the intelligence.

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

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.

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.

The country is deeply divided along religious and ethnic lines, which makes continuing violence one likely scenario.

Even with hopes running high, so much can go wrong when a country ousts a longtime dictator and tries to start anew.