The Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated that no Russian soldiers were taking part in the conflict in Libya, describing alleged press reports as “fake news”.
In a statement on Monday, the Ministry said that it had not received any credible information concerning Russian citizens participating in battles in Libya. It pointed out that the basis for these reports, circulated by Arabic media outlets on April 12, was “an informed source” from the Government of National Accord (GNA).
The source claimed that a Russian private military company called ‘Wagner Group’ was on the ground, fighting alongside the Libyan National Army (LNA), with an operations room in the Salah Al-Din area in southern Tripoli.
The Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement said that these reports are not the first of their kind, arguing that they “are being pumped to create a false impression that Moscow was interfering in the Libyan conflict and [is] aligned openly with one of the parties.”
The Ministry stressed that Russia was doing the utmost to contribute to a lasting ceasefire in Libya and a political solution to the present crisis, adding that it has remained neutral throughout the conflict.
Moscow previously refuted US allegations that it was intervening militarily in Libya and that it had a “destabilizing” effect on the political process. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavror of Russia said that the allegations that “Russian mercenaries” were fighting in Libya were no more than mere rumors.