Libyan military leader Khalifa Haftar leaves a meeting with Russia’s foreign minister in Moscow in November 2016. IMAGE: MAXIM SHEMETOV/REUTERS
300 “mercenaries linked to Russian military intelligence” have been supporting operations of the Libyan National Army (LNA), The Telegraph reported on March 3 citing own sources.
“The murky private military company Wagner Group has been supporting Khalifa Haftar with 300 personnel in Benghazi and has supplied his Libyan National Army with artillery, tanks, drones and ammunition, a Whitehall source said.
A source close to the Libyan Russian Oil & Gas Joint Company started in Benghazi in April told The Telegraph that “lots of Wagner fighters went [to Libya], and there are rumours that military personnel also went there”,” the report said.
This was not the first time when mainstream media outlets, in particular British ones, claimed that Russia is expanding its presence in Libya by various measures. In October 2018, The Sun claimed that the Russian miltiary had established two military bases in Benghazi and Tobruk. The Sun also claimed that it can “reveal” that “dozens” of GRU officers as well as Spetznaz special forces were already on the ground in eastern Libya. They are presumably carrying out training and liaison roles. According to the same report, S-300 and Kalibr missiles were also deployed.
Source: The Sun
While the growing Russian influence, including the infuence of Russia-linked security companies, across the Greater Middle East is no secret, msot of mainstream coverage on this topic is a mix of exaggerations and fake news. The main goal of this coverage is to set up an image of an “evil Russia” meddling across the region to support “bad guys”.
(Sarcasm) Oh no! Mercenaries used in foreign conflicts! What an awful story! Civilized Western democracies never do such disgusting things! How dare you, Russia!
Not just 300. 3.000.000!
Libya is a Jew world order victim nation. These failed states destroyed or targeted by the FUKUS Jew 3 miscreants and their partners in crimes against humanity need an alternative to solve their problems and create a better future for their citizens.
Russia and the SCO are developing and deploying the means to provide this alternative structure. Which is a good thing for humanity.
I’m sure I read this month’s ago somewhere. I know that we should do our bit for the planet and recycle but seriously should that include news?
“S-300 and Kalibr missiles were also deployed.”(c) Yes, and Sarmat, Avangard, Hermitage and balalaika were all deployed as well. All spiced with a healthy doze of Novichok (Bashirov and Petrov were filmed on local cctv camera’s) for a good measure. Brits, something is wrong with you if you keep bying this BS.
and the bears, don’t forget the bears (not the bombers, the animals).
and “that the military gathered up people in village square, load them on trucks at gunpoint and sent them to Lybia to die for Putin”
I mentioned balalayka :) Who do you think is playing balalaika – bears as they always do in Russia.
I hope they aren’t saying this to prepare some story like “the royal air force destroyed 300 Russian mercenaries in Lybia which were attacking British forces, platooned up like in Napoleon Bonaparte movies”
typical british shithole press) look at the graphics…. boasting S-300, but put the silhouetteof a S-125/200 system…. if you are too stupid, simply let it be)
Fun facts, these Russian mercs are legally in Libya and that is BAD!!! But somehow the UK’s illegal military presence in Syria is good? Also, the Russians seem to be helping to fix Libya again, after the UK was one of the main reasons why its currently fucked up. Or does the UK like it when migrants who made it to Europe via Libya show up in the UK?
You broke Libya, you morons, either fix it, or shut the fuck up as others are fixing it for you!
That map/graph is pathetic. Claims S300 but shows S200, the cruise missile doesn’t even look like a Kalibr, “Russian bases now active” oh dear, really? And it is only now that Russians have marched to N Africa they point out that from Libya to Italy it’s only “280” miles. They should have pointed out before how short the distance is for illegal immigrants! But, yeah, sure it’s short for missiles too! Lol.