Ukrainian forces operating in Libya have attacked a Russian tanker, officials say
CAIRO (AP) — Ukrainian forces are operating in western Libya under a secret agreement approved by the West and have used the North African country’s territory for attacks a Russian tanker There was an incident in the Mediterranean last month, two Libyan officials said on Tuesday.
The Russian-flagged Arctic Metagaz, carrying 61,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas, was severely damaged in a suspected maritime drone attack near Maltese waters in early March. He has since moved away from Libya. The Libyan Maritime Authority said all 30 crew members were rescued and put on another ship bound for Benghazi, Libya.
The tanker is a so-called part of Russia shadow fleet Transportation of oil in violation of international sanctions against Moscow Occupation that has been going on for more than 4 years of Ukraine. The US’s recent temporary exemption from these sanctions is aimed at easing supply shortages amid the Iran war.
Russia blamed Ukrainian naval drones for the attack. Ukraine says oil export revenue He helps finance the invasion of Moscow.
Strike started from Tripoli
Ukrainian forces, many of them drone specialists, operate mainly from an air base in the coastal city of Misrata but also at other military facilities in the capital Tripoli and the coastal city of Zawiya, officials told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential matters.
The drone strike that hit the tanker on March 3 was carried out by Ukrainian agents at a military facility in Tripoli, one of the officials said.
The Libyan Maritime Authority said at the time that the tanker experienced “sudden explosions followed by a large fire” while about 240 kilometers (150 miles) off the Libyan city of Sirte. The Libyan government body mistakenly reported that the tanker had sunk.
The Arctic Metagas remained afloat after the attack and was pushed toward the Libyan coast by winds and currents, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature, a global conservation organization. In recent weeks, Libyan authorities have tried to withdraw the tanker to a “safe zone” on the country’s west coast. However, their efforts failed as the tanker crashed due to “harsh” weather conditions and high winds. “get out of control”.
Neither Russian nor Ukrainian officials have commented on the allegations. The government in Tripoli did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ukraine has become a laboratory rapid military innovationparticularly in drone technology, in efforts to thwart an invasion by Russia’s larger military.
Ukraine’s Sea Baby navy drones repeatedly Hit Russian ships in the Black Sea. Their successful strikes forced Russia to adapt, limiting opportunities for further incursions into the Black Sea and forcing Ukrainian experts to foresight. more assertive attacks.
The distribution is said to be part of a “secret agreement”
Ukrainian forces have been gradually deployed in western Libya in recent months, officials said, part of what one of the officials described as a “secret agreement” between Kiev and the embattled government of Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah based in Tripoli.
Officials said the agreement was backed by Western countries, including the United States, whose adviser on African affairs, Massad Boulos, who retained Dbeibah as prime minister, drafted a proposal to resolve the long-running conflict in Libya, officials said.
Officials said Boulos’ offer included the appointment of Saddam Hifter, son of the powerful military commander in the east, Khalifa Hifter, as head of the presidential council. Saddam Hifter is chief of staff of the self-styled Libyan National Army, which controls eastern and southern Libya, including major oil fields.
The country has been divided for more than a decade between the UN-backed government led by Dbeibah in Tripoli and a rival government in the east loyal to Russia-backed Hifter. Each was supported by different armed groups and foreign governments.
Duty of Dbehibah government His term expired after Libya failed to hold its first presidential election during his term in December 2021. He has since fought efforts to form a new government and steer the oil-rich country through elections, warning that replacing him could trigger war.
Jalel Harchaoui, a Libya analyst at the Royal United Services Institute, suggested that the presence of Ukrainian forces in western Libya is part of years-long efforts by NATO to keep the region “out of Russia’s reach”.
“It is entirely plausible that, with the knowledge and approval of NATO forces (primarily the United States, but also the United Kingdom and Turkey), several small groups of Ukrainian agents now maintain a presence in the greater Tripoli area,” he said.
Libya has been plagued by chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The oil-rich country has been the scene of a long-running rivalry between Russia and the West for years. Libya, which has borders with six countries, has become a troublemaker in Europe as it has become a transit point for migrants who want to reach European shores.
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Associated Press writer Barry Hatton in Lisbon contributed to this report.
