Ukrainian soldiers in Libya. Western media: Their target is the Russian “shadow fleet”

More than 200 Ukrainian soldiers are fighting against the Russian shadow fleet in western Libya, French radio RFI reported, adding that they were present in three locations.

According to two Libyan sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, more than 200 Ukrainian officers and experts have been deployed to Libya in consultation with the government led by Abd al-Hamid al-Dubaiba.

According to RFI, Ukrainian soldiers are stationed at the Air Force Academy in Misrata, where Turkish, Italian and US Africa Command (AFRICOM) forces are located, as well as a British intelligence center.

The Ukrainian military also has a second base, fully equipped to deploy air and sea drones, in the city of Azzaviyya, about 50 kilometers north of the capital and close to the Mellitah oil complex, one of the largest operating in Libya.

On March 4, 2026, Russia accused Ukraine and British intelligence of attacking the Arctic Metagaz tanker, carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), which sank in the Mediterranean Sea, between Malta and Libya.

Libya remains divided between the government recognized by the international community and the administration of General Khalifa Haftar in the east of the country, supported by Russia, which has troops sent to countries of the Global South, built on the basis of the Wagner Group.

In October 2025, Moscow accused the Libyan prime minister of supporting “Ukrainian groups” and providing them with “logistical support”. (PAP)

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