A recent investigation by The Telegraph has revealed a covert Russian strategy to manipulate migration flows through Libya into Europe, orchestrated by fugitive spymaster Jan Marsalek. The plan involved establishing a 15,000-strong mercenary force to control Libya’s borders, exploiting migration as a tool to destabilise Europe and influence its politics.
Marsalek, the disgraced former CEO of German payments firm Wirecard, allegedly worked for the Kremlin while leading efforts to establish private military operations in Libya. According to The Telegraph, Marsalek purchased the Russian private military company RSB Group, facilitating Russia’s military footprint in Libya.
The revelations highlight Russia’s strategy of weaponising migration to exert pressure on Europe. Security experts warn that by fuelling instability in North Africa and physically moving migrants towards Europe, Russian-backed mercenaries have intensified the migration crisis.
Marsalek’s Libyan project was backed by suspected Russian military intelligence officers and involved negotiations with European and Libyan officials. In 2017, Austrian officials reportedly pledged over €120,000 to Marsalek’s initiative, aimed at managing migration under the guise of stabilisation. The funds, however, were linked to Russia’s GRU, raising concerns over Moscow’s real intentions in Libya.
The Telegraph’s investigation also uncovered Marsalek’s connections to Wagner Group operations in Libya and Sudan. Following Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death, Marsalek is believed to have played a key role in reorganising Russian mercenary interests in the region.
Meetings in 2018 between Marsalek, Austrian defence officials, and humanitarian expert Killian Kleinschmidt outlined plans to create a border force in Libya. However, the project collapsed over concerns about its true objectives and Marsalek’s ties to Russian intelligence.
