Moscow recently sent fighter aircraft to Libya to reinforce their paramilitary forces battling against the U.S.-backed government in Tripoli, the Pentagon said Tuesday in the latest sign that Russia is doubling down on its involvement in the Libyan civil war.
In a statement Tuesday, U.S. Africa Command said the Russian jets recently arrived in Libya. The craft were repainted in Syria, officials said, in order to “camouflage their Russian origin.”
The news comes just days after forces with the Russian paramilitary Wager Group retreated from the outskirts of Tripoli amid a Turkish-backed offensive. Turkey is allied with the internationally recognized Government of National Accord forces, while Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates are backing Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA).
The Russian retreat over the weekend suggested that perhaps Moscow was backing off its support of Gen. Haftar’s forces and slowly disengaging from the fight. But the movement of fighter aircraft seems to show a redoubling of Russia’s involvement.
“Russia is clearly trying to tip the scales in its favor in Libya. Just like I saw them doing in Syria, they are expanding their military footprint in Africa using government-supported mercenary groups like Wagner,” U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander of U.S. Africa Command, said in a lengthy statement Tuesday.
“For too long, Russia has denied the full extent of its involvement in the ongoing Libyan conflict. Well, there is no denying it now,” he continued. “We watched as Russia flew fourth generation jet fighters to Libya — every step of the way. Neither the LNA nor private military companies can arm, operate and sustain these fighters without state support — support they are getting from Russia.”
U.S. officials warned that Russia is likely pursuing a strategy to capture key areas along Libya’s coast and implement long-range, anti-access artillery there. Such a move could prove effective in countering Turkish-made drones and anti-aircraft batteries that in recent weeks have helped turn the tide against Gen. Haftar’s army.
“If Russia seizes basing on Libya’s coast, the next logical step is they deploy permanent long-range anti-access area denial (A2AD) capabilities,” said U.S. Air Force Gen. Jeff Harrigian, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa. “If that day comes, it will create very real security concerns on Europe’s southern flank.”
Top American diplomats this week reaffirmed their support for the GNA forces and the government in Tripoli. But the U.S. policy has been less than clear over the past year following a cordial phone call between President Trump and Gen. Haftar in April 2019.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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