The U.S. military accused Russia of deploying fighter planes to conflict-stricken Libya to support Russian mercenaries aiding east-based forces in their offensive on the capital, Tripoli.
In this Jan. 17, 2020, file, photo, Libyan Gen. Khalifa Hifter joins a meeting with the Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in Athens. The U.S. military Tuesday, May 26, 2020 accused Russia of deploying fighter planes to conflict-stricken Libya to support Russian mercenaries aiding east-based forces in their offensive on the capital, Tripoli. CAIRO -- The U.S.
AFRICOM said the aircraft were likely to provide close air support and offensive fire for the Wagner Group, a Russia-based state-sponsored company that employs mercenaries to fight alongside the eastern forces of military commander Khalifa Hifter. In the past two months, Hifter's forces have lost a string of western towns and a key airbase after Turkey stepped up military support for his rivals, sending drones, air defence systems, armoured vehicles and thousands of Syrian mercenaries.
Russia has employed state-sponsored Wagner in Libya to conceal its direct role and to afford Moscow plausible deniability of its malign actions, AFRICOM said.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
U.S. military accuses Russia of deploying fighter jets to Libya; Moscow calls claim ‘disinformation’The U.S. Africa Command said the Russian military aircraft arrived in Libya recently from an air base in Russia via Syria, where they were repainted to hide their Russian origin
Read more »
U.S. military accuses Russia of deploying fighter jets to Libya; Moscow calls claim ‘disinformation’The U.S. Africa Command said the Russian military aircraft arrived in Libya recently from an air base in Russia via Syria, where they were repainted to hide their Russian origin
Read more »
Canadian Forces report 36 cases of COVID-19 among members working in long-term care homesThe military has been deployed to nursing homes in Ontario and Quebec to reinforce workers overwhelmed by the illness
Read more »
Canadian military honours Snowbirds crash victim with a memorial procession in HalifaxThe 35-year-old military public affairs officer and Halifax native died in the crash of a Snowbirds Tutor jet in a residential area of Kamloops, B.C., last Sunday
Read more »
Trump says he's done taking hydroxychloroquine, unproven treatment for COVID-19U.S. President Donald Trump says he has completed a two-week course of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, after weeks of promoting it as a treatment for the novel coronavirus.
Read more »