Russia Slams U.S. ‘Disinformation’ About Jets in Libya

Date: 27 May 2020 - 21:47

News ID: ۷۸۹۹۶

MOSCOW (Dispatches) -- Russia has dismissed "disinformation” by the United States which says Moscow has deployed fighter planes to Libya to support its "mercenaries” in the North African country.
Andrey Krasov, the deputy head of the defense committee of Russia’s State Duma, told Interfax that the claim "does not correspond to reality”.
"Russia’s position is well known: we are in favor of ending the bloodshed in Libya, we urge all parties to the conflict to refrain from using weapons and sit at the negotiating table,” Krasov said.
He made the comments in response to a statement by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) earlier Tuesday that Russian military aircraft had arrived in Libya from an airbase in Russia via Syria, where they were allegedly repainted to camouflage their Russian origin.
U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, the commander of AFRICOM, claimed that they "watched as Russia flew fourth-generation jet fighters to Libya — every step of the way”.
AFRICOM alleged that the aircraft were likely to provide close air support for the Russian mercenaries who it claimed were fighting alongside rebel forces under the command of Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
Russia denies military presence in Libya.
Libya has been in chaos since 2011, when a popular uprising and a NATO intervention led to the ouster of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
Since 2014, two rival seats of power have emerged in Libya, namely the internationally-recognized government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, and another group based in the eastern city of Tobruk, supported militarily by Haftar’s rebels.
Haftar, who is primarily supported by the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan, launched an offensive to capture Tripoli, the seat of the government, in April last year. His forces have been bogged down on the city’s outskirts.
Government forces, backed by Turkey, recently liberated several key towns that had been occupied by the rebels in the northwest. Haftar’s rebels have been intensifying a pushback by escalating attacks on the capital.