Ukraine has a military presence in Libya and was behind the attack on the Russian tanker Arctic Metagaz in the Mediterranean in early March, the French broadcaster RFI reported, citing sources.
More than 200 Ukrainian officers and specialists are stationed in western Libya with the consent of the Tripoli government led by Abdulhamid Dbeibah, two Libyan sources told RFI.
Ukrainian forces are present at three sites, RFI reported. These include a base at the Air Force Academy in Misrata, where Turkish and Italian forces, U.S. Africa Command, and a British intelligence center are also located, and a base in the city of Zawiya, roughly 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Tripoli, near the Mellita oil and gas complex. That base is fully equipped for launching aerial and maritime drones.
A third site is used for coordination meetings between Ukrainian military personnel and the Libyan army. It is located on the grounds of the 111th Brigade on the road to Tripoli airport.
The Arctic Metagaz was attacked by a Magura V5 surface drone of Ukrainian manufacture, launched from the base near Mellita, which struck the vessel’s engine room, RFI reported, citing its sources.
The agreement on the Ukrainian military presence was signed in October 2025 at the formal request of Ukraine’s military attaché in Algiers, Andriy Bayuk, RFI reported. In exchange, Tripoli receives training for its military personnel, including in the use of drones. The longer-term agreement provides for arms deliveries and Ukrainian investment in Libya’s oil sector. Ukrainian authorities did not respond to RFI’s request for comment.
A fire broke out in early March aboard the tanker Arctic Metagaz, which was sailing under the Russian flag and carrying more than 60,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas. The vessel was in the Mediterranean Sea between Malta and Libya at the time. The crew was evacuated, and the damaged gas carrier was left drifting at sea with its cargo on board. Russia said the Arctic Metagaz had been attacked by Ukrainian unmanned surface vessels.
Libya’s National Oil Corporation later announced it would take action regarding the vessel, which was expected to be towed to port. Several days later, Libya’s Ports and Maritime Transport Authority announced that the operation to tow the tanker had failed.
[THIS ELEMENT IS NOT CURRENTLY SUPPORTED]
At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.
If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at [email protected].
To read Meduza’s exclusive content in English, please subscribe to our newsletter.
