[ad_1]
“Support for the Libyan National Army (LNA) and [maršalui Khalifai] Haftar is not being fought for a military victory, but for settling in the region, “Brigadier General Gregory Hadfield, deputy chief intelligence officer for the United States Force in Africa (AFRICOM), told reporters.
“Russia uses the same model that it has successfully applied in Crimea, Ukraine and, to a lesser extent, Syria,” he said. “Russia has shown its willingness to travel to sovereign states and appears to want to do the same in Africa.”
AFRICOM announced Tuesday that Russia had recently dispatched military aircraft to Libya to provide air support to Russian mercenaries aiding Marshal Kh. Haftar’s forces have been trying to occupy the capital Tripoli since last year, controlled by the United Nations-recognized National Cohesion Government (NSV). US troops have released photos showing these planes being held at the LNA-controlled Juffra Air Force Base, about 470 miles southeast of Tripoli.
The military planes flew in from Russia and landed first in Syria, where they were “repainted to disguise Russian origin,” and then arrived in Libya, said Stuttgart-based AFRICOM, Germany.
According to Mr. Hadfield, these planes have not yet participated in combat operations, but could play a decisive role in the civil war that destroys Libya. The general added that the US Army. USA It has information on additional Russian military transport aircraft and personnel transferred to Libya. According to him, Moscow has also sent older “ground” missiles to the country.
Moscow, meanwhile, denies US reports of Russian military aircraft stationed in Libya.
The LNA also denied that the planes seen at the Dzufra base belonged to Russia. A force spokesman said earlier this week that those planes are older models and have been recently repaired.
AFRICOM spokesman Col. Chris Karns, for his part, said on Friday that Libyan forces had never had MiG-29s and Su-24s, making any allegation that “old planes had been repaired” false.
AFRICOM announced on Friday that the United States, concerned about the increase in Russian military activity in Libya, intends to intensify its forces deployed in Tunisia.
It is not allowed to publish, quote or reproduce the information of the BNS news agency in the media and on the Internet without the written consent of UAB “BNS”.
[ad_2]
