Russia increased Wagner deployments as Hifter’s offensive faltered, UN report says
A new UN report backs US claims that Russia sent more fighters to Libya as Turkey intervened against Hifter.
A new assessment by independent UN sanctions monitors adds credence to reports that Russia doubled down on its military support for Gen. Khalifa Hifter as his offensive against Libya’s Tripoli-based government faltered over the past year.
The report, seen by Reuters, said the Russian military’s logistical support for the Wagner paramilitary company’s activities in Libya “significantly increased from January 2020 to June 2020.”
Some 338 Russian cargo flights arrived in Libya from Syria between November 2019 and the end of July, according to the document, which has not yet been made available to the public.
A separate report submitted to the UN sanctions committee in May estimated Wagner had between 800 and 1,200 fighters in Libya. Late last month, a US inspector general report cited the US Africa Command as saying some 3,000 fighters had cycled in and out of Libya between April and June of this year.
