Ukraine Deploys Personnel in Western Libya Amid Russia Clash

Ukrainian military personnel are operating in western Libya with the approval of the Tripoli-based government, according to Libyan sources, amid an escalating shadow confrontation with Russia that has extended to attacks on Russian vessels in the Mediterranean Sea.

More than 200 Ukrainian officers and specialists have been deployed across several sites in western Libya since an agreement was reached with the government of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah last October. The personnel are stationed at the Air Force Academy in Misrata, a facility that also hosts Turkish, Italian, and U.S. Africa Command forces, as well as a British intelligence center. Additional bases include a drone launch site in Zawiya, about 50 kilometers northwest of Tripoli near the Mellitah oil and gas complex, and a coordination point at the headquarters of Libya's 111th Brigade en route to Tripoli's airport. Sources indicated that the Zawiya site, granted direct sea access by Tripoli authorities, underwent fortifications and installations for runways and antennas in late 2024.

The deployment stems from a deal initiated by Ukraine's military attaché in Algeria, General Andriy Bayuk. In exchange for basing...