In 2011, Libya plunged into renewed conflict between multiple factions after the death of Muammar Gaddafi. Various foreign powers—Egypt, Turkey, Russia, Italy, Greece—have interests in the region, further complicating the situation. Recent events include a damaged LNG tanker drifting uncontrolled in the Mediterranean and ongoing military tensions.
Since October last year, Ukraine has expanded its presence in Libya via a cooperation agreement with Tripoli’s government, sending officers to train Libyan forces and establish operational infrastructure. Ukrainian personnel now reportedly exceed 200, with bases in Misrata, Zawiya, and Tripoli. These bases serve not just for training but also as coordination hubs, including for potential future arms deliveries and oil sector investments, although neither Kyiv nor Tripoli officially confirm the deployments.
Western media report Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian "shadow fleet" tankers that circumvent international sanctions, carrying oil and gas. Notable incidents include December and January assaults on the tankers Kandil (allegedly carrying Russian intelligence officers) and Arktik Metagaz, causing significant damage and environmental risks in the Mediterranean. A Turkish probe into a fatal Libyan military plane crash attributed it to technical failure, but Libyan sources suspect Russian retaliation for the tanker attacks.
March saw a landmark drone attack on the Arktik Metagaz LNG carrier, immobilizing it with a large gas cargo onboard, prompting concerns about a potential environmental disaster among EU member states. Ukraine has not officially commented, while Russian sources denounce the acts as terrorism.
The Ukrainian intelligence presence extends beyond Libya: operations have also been conducted in Sudan and, notably, in Mali, where support for Tuareg rebels resulted in major Wagner Group losses. These actions disrupt Russian resource flows and open a new front in the conflict far from Ukraine’s borders, weakening Moscow's alternative financial networks developed to evade sanctions.
Looking ahead, Ukraine plans to invest in Libya’s oil sector, signaling a broader, proactive geopolitical strategy in the region as part of its confrontation with Russia. The events indicate that Moscow faces new military and financial challenges in both the Mediterranean and African theaters.
