Ukrainian troops reportedly wage shadow war in Libya

The findings of French radio station RFI point to a behind-the-scenes rivalry between Ukraine and Russia in Libya, where the conflict is spilling beyond the front line. The report says Ukrainian forces have an active military presence in the west of the country and were also behind an attack on the Russian ship Arctic Metagaz in early March.

Moscow initially blamed Ukraine and British intelligence. Recent reports suggest the ship was hit by a Magura V5 naval drone, launched from a base near the Mellitah oil complex.

According to anonymous Libyan sources, more than 200 Ukrainian officers and specialists are deployed in the country under an agreement with the government in Tripoli. They are spread across several locations, including the air academy in Misrata, a base in Zawiya and the Libyan army headquarters in Tripoli.

Ukrainian forces reportedly have infrastructure for drone operations and are working with local armed groups. Moscow has previously accused the Libyan government of supporting Ukrainian activities.

(max)