Radio France Internationale reported on Saturday that Ukrainian forces stationed in Libya are carrying out attacks on vessels belonging to a parallel Russian fleet that circumvents sanctions imposed on oil exports.
According to the report, Kyiv has deployed at least 200 military officers and specialists in Libya under an agreement with the Government of National Unity led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
The outlet added that these forces are present at three main locations, including an air force academy hosting international military personnel, and in the coastal city of Zawiya, from which aerial and naval drones are launched.
Radio France stated that Ukraine was responsible for disabling the sanctioned Russian liquefied natural gas tanker “Arctic Metagas” using a naval drone in early March.
Reports indicated that the vessel was part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” composed of aging ships used to bypass international sanctions on oil and gas exports.
The report also noted that in December of last year, the Russian oil tanker “Kandil” was attacked about 250 kilometers off the Libyan coast in another incident claimed by Ukrainian intelligence.
It further explained that in October, the Kremlin accused Tripoli of cooperating with Ukraine, as well as with British intelligence, which Moscow also accused of involvement in the attack on the tanker “Arctic Metagas.”
The Radio France Internationale report on the Ukrainian presence in Libya is the first part of a three-part investigation into what it describes as a “shadow war being waged in Africa between Kyiv and Moscow in Libya.”
According to Radio France, neither Kyiv nor Tripoli has commented on these allegations when contacted by the outlet.
