The United States said that the Russian armed forces flew over the skies of Libya with a dozen unidentifiable planes in an attempt to provide air support to Russian mercenaries fighting in Tripoli. What happened demonstrates an important escalation of Russian military intervention in the Libyan civil war.
War has raged in Libya since 2011, when a popular uprising backed by the West and its allies led to the fall of the country's dictator, Muammar Gaddafi. Much of the east of the country is controlled by the government led by Tobruk and under the protection of the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by General Khalifa Haftar. Russia also supports Haftar and is trying to challenge the US for influence over Haftar's commanders and troops. The LNA is fighting against the UN-recognized Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA), which is backed by Qatar and Turkey and headed by Fayez Al Serraj. The US is right between the two contenders.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Defense Africa Command said Russian pilots had flown military aircraft to Jufra, an LNA stronghold. The Americans say the jets were repainted in Syria to conceal the Russian Federation insignia, before being transported first to Tobruk in eastern Libya and from there to Jufra. According to the Pentagon, Russian planes are in Libya to provide air support to more than 1.000 Russian mercenaries fighting alongside the LNA.
The mercenaries reportedly belong to PMC Wagner (also known as the Wagner Group), a Russian security contractor with a strong field presence in Syria, eastern Ukraine, the Central African Republic and elsewhere in the world. Western officials argue that Russian private firms like Wagner cannot fail to operate without the Kremlin's permission. According to recent reports, Wagner's personnel participated in the operational activities of the LNA in an attempt to take Tripoli and end the Libyan civil war. But the offensive has not been going well in recent days, and Wagner's forces have reportedly been pushed back by Al Serraj's GNA troops, backed by Turkey and Qatar.
The US Pentagon said Moscow sent Russian military planes to Libya to provide close air support to the private group Wagner offensive interventions. Other analysts argue, however, that the main purpose of the mission is to reach the outskirts of Tripoli and bring Russian mercenaries to safety. But Ahmed Mismari, a spokesman for the LNA, dismissed reports of the arrival of Russian military planes in Libya as "rumors and lies of the media". He said all the planes used by the LNA are old repaired Libyan fighters. The Russian Defense Ministry did not comment on the Pentagon's heavy allegations.
