{"id":8582,"date":"2019-11-06T05:15:26","date_gmt":"2019-11-06T13:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/?p=8582"},"modified":"2019-11-06T05:19:44","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T13:19:44","slug":"arrival-of-russian-mercenaries-adds-deadlier-firepower-modern-tactics-to-libyas-civil-war-the-washington-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/?p=8582","title":{"rendered":"“Arrival of Russian mercenaries adds deadlier firepower, modern tactics to Libya\u2019s civil war’, The Washington Post"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Sudarsan Raghavan, November 5, 2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

AL AZIZIYAH, Libya \u2014 At first, the fighters inside the empty school building, about 20 burly, heavily armed Russian mercenaries in dark fatigues, seemed trapped, recalled some of the Libyan militiamen who were there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

But as the Libyans pushed forward, snipers opened fire from inside with high-powered rifles. Within minutes, three Libyan militiamen were killed, all shot in the head.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

Hundreds of Russian mercenaries, many highly trained and well-armed, are fighting alongside renegade Libyan commander Khalifa Hifter as he seeks to oust the country\u2019s United Nations-backed government, according to Libyan military commanders and fighters, as well as U.S. military and other Western officials.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

These foreigners fighting for Hifter\u2019s self-described Libyan National Army are introducing new tactics and firepower on the battlefield, threatening to prolong the most violent conflict in this North African country since the Arab Spring revolution eight years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe entry of the Russian forces into the war has altered the battlefield,\u201d said Osama al-Juwaili, a top commander of the Libyan government\u2019s forces. \u201cTheir presence complicates things for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA militiaman walks outside an abandoned house not far from a school in Al Aziziyah, Libya, on Oct. 30. (Lorenzo Tugnoli for The Washington Post)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

They represent the latest escalation in Libya\u2019s proxy war, which has drawn in European and Arab countries \u2014 notably the United Arab Emirates and Egypt \u2014 despite an international arms embargo. And the arrival of these mercenaries comes at a time when Russia has been expanding its military and diplomatic reach across the Middle East, Africa and beyond, enjoying greater clout in places such as Syria where the United States is disengaging.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWe are aware of Russian private military companies operating in Libyan National Army-controlled territory in eastern Libya, and they have also operated in western Libya,\u201d said Rebecca Farmer, a spokeswoman for the U.S. military\u2019s Africa Command.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\"Russian
Russian mercenaries attacked a school in Al Aziziyah, Libya, and engaged pro-government militias for hours before withdrawing. (Lorenzo Tugnoli for The Washington Post)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Farmer said the Russian mercenaries work for the Wagner Group, a private army that experts have linked to Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Wagner Group has previously appeared in combat in Syria, the Central African Republic, Ukraine and other countries considered strategic for the Kremlin\u2019s geopolitical and economic interests.<\/p>\n

Russia has arms and construction agreements worth in excess of $4 billion, made with late Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi, who was ousted and killed in the country\u2019s 2011 uprisings and NATO intervention.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cThey have a strong economic rationale in their continued support to Hifter,\u201d said Farmer, referring to Moscow.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

A senior Western official described the Russians as \u201cguns for hire\u201d and said, based on the analysis of intelligence and military experts, that these mercenaries were believed until recently to number about 300. But \u201cvery alarming\u201d new information indicates there are thousands, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Once largely based in Hifter\u2019s eastern Libyan strongholds, they are \u201cnow being brought to the front lines,\u201d said the official, adding that these fighters include snipers and artillery experts and have brought \u201csome tactical skills and edge to the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Senior military commanders for the Libyan government have estimated the number of Russian mercenaries at 300 based on their intelligence sources inside Hifter\u2019s territory. \u201cWe have eyes on the ground there,\u201d one top commander said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Some pro-government fighters said they knew the mercenaries were Russian by the chatter on their hand-held radios. Both sides can access each other\u2019s frequencies at times, and the pro-government fighters recall hearing Russian spoken. In the battle for the empty school, fighters said, they heard the enemy fighters screaming commands and names in Russian.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

A Washington Post reporter also reviewed Russian identity cards, documents and other material belonging to the Russians found at the site of clashes, as well as photos and videos of the mercenaries taken by Libyan militia fighters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\"A
A military training manual believed to belong to Russian mercenaries was found in Libya by pro-government militiamen. (Lorenzo Tugnoli for The Washington Post)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"A
A military training manual believed to belong to Russian mercenaries. (Lorenzo Tugnoli for The Washington Post)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"A
A military training manual believed to belong to Russian mercenaries. (Lorenzo Tugnoli for The Washington Post)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

A spokesman for Hifter\u2019s Libyan National Army, Col. Ahmed al-Mismari, said the reports of Russians are \u201cfake news\u201d and that \u201call our fighters are Libyan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Putin\u2019s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, declined to answer questions sent by The Post about the mercenaries, replying that \u201cThe Kremlin does not have this information,\u201d while a spokesman for Prigozhin said the businessman \u201chas nothing to do with the so-called \u2018Wagner\u2019 private military company\u201d and declined to comment further.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
\n

Hifter’s offensive<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\n

The Russian mercenaries entered Libya in September, according to Libyan commanders and fighters, six months after Hifter launched a surprise offensive on the capital. The 75-year-old commander, a former general in Gaddafi\u2019s army who is a dual U.S.-Libyan citizen and lived for years in Northern Virginia, is aligned with a rival eastern government.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

His forces, composed of eastern militias, are battling armed groups from Tripoli and other western cities aligned with the Government of National Accord. The conflict has killed more than 1,000, including at least 100 civilians, and driven more than 120,000 from their homes, according to the World Health Organization.<\/p>\n

In addition to the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, Saudi Arabia is backing Hifter, as is France. Italy and other European nations, as well as Turkey and Qatar, are supporting the Tripoli-based government. U.S. policy has been uncertain since April when President Trump endorsed Hifter\u2019s offensive in a telephone call.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

The former Soviet Union had a close relationship with Gaddafi, sending weaponry and military advisers to Libya throughout the 1970s and 1980s.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

In Hifter, Moscow sees an opening to gain back billions in lucrative oil and military contracts that it lost when Gaddafi was killed, analysts said. Russia has printed billions of Libyan dinars to prop up eastern Libya\u2019s economy and help finance Hifter\u2019s military campaign. Russia has also blocked a U.N. Security Council statement that sought to condemn Hifter\u2019s offensive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

New tactics, new wounds<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"Militiamen
Militiamen take position on a frontline outpost in Al Aziziyah on Oct. 30. (Lorenzo Tugnoli for The Washington Post)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Along one front line in southern Tripoli, Libyan fighters ran fast between houses pocked by mortar shells and bullets to avoid being caught in the sights of Russian snipers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

On the second floor of a half-destroyed mansion, commander Khalifa Al Naluti peered out at an apartment complex 100 yards away. \u201cThe Russians are over there,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s dangerous to stand here.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Under fire on Libya\u2019s front lines<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Libyan fighters on both sides are undisciplined, often firing excessively and haphazardly at targets. The Russians, by contrast, move in small groups and attack from side positions, mostly at night or in the early morning hours, Libyan fighters say. The Russians preserve their ammunition, firing at optimal moments with precision.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cTheir fighting style is different than what we are used to,\u201d said Jabber Abu Dabous, a militiaman. \u201cThey fight in a professional manner.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

And the Russians may not only be fighting but also training Hifter\u2019s forces. Since the arrival of the Russians, Hifter\u2019s forces have begun using novel military tactics and new weaponry, say pro-government militia fighters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

At the only field hospital in Al Aziziyah, a small town 25 miles southwest of Tripoli, doctors have been treating new types of war injuries over the past several weeks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\"A
A field hospital on the frontline of Al Aziziyah treated some of the fighters injured in a fierce battle around the school. (Lorenzo Tugnoli for The Washington Post)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\u00a0Nearly every bullet wound is now in the chest or head, reflecting the snipers\u2019 expertise, said a senior surgeon who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he feared for his relatives who live in Hifter-controlled areas. Mortars, too, have been striking targets with greater precision. \u201cThey\u2019ve become more accurate in the last three weeks,\u201d said the doctor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n
\n

In at least six deaths, the bullet entry wounds were unusually small. The bullets did not exit the body, suggesting the presence of modern guns and ammunition, he said. In previous conflicts, the wounded arrived during the day, as the fighting usually ended by dusk. Now, they are seeing more casualties arriving in the pre-dawn darkness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cThe timing of battles, the types of injuries, the way people are dying, it\u2019s all changed now,\u201d said the doctor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Recovered from the Russians<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\n

When the Russians entered the multi-story Awlad Telese school in Al Aziziyah, a dozen pro-government fighters were on the floors above. A firefight broke out as the better-equipped Russians lobbed grenades and the militiamen fired with their AK-47 rifles at any mercenary who tried to come up the stairs, recalled two fighters who were there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

Some of the mercenaries, the militiamen said, were blond. They wore helmets, black bulletproof vests and olive green and black attire. They carried black backpacks with small antennas and clutched black modern-looking guns, which fired rapidly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Soon, the bulk of the mercenaries were shooting out of the school\u2019s windows at the pro-government fighters outside trying to push forward.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWe were lucky,\u201d said Mohammed Abdul Gader, 30, one of the Libyan militiamen on the floor above. \u201cIf they were all fighting us, we would not have survived.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The battle lasted nearly 24 hours. In the early morning, the pro-government fighters advanced in Turkish armored vehicles into the school, said Mohammed Hamadi, a 33-year-old commander who was there. The mercenaries blew a hole in the wall of a classroom and escaped.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\"A
A militiaman prays in a frontline outpost in Al Aziziyah, Libya on Oct. 30. (Lorenzo Tugnoli for The Washington Post)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Recovered at the site were a pension card for a Russian, born Nov. 25, 1969, from the Siberian city of Tomsk, as well as a Russian credit card, a card for Russian stores selling military uniforms, groceries and construction materials, and a card to Decathlon, a popular Europe-wide clothing store. Also found at the site of clashes were small cards depicting Russian Orthodox Christian saints and prayers in Russian.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

A cellphone belonging to a Russian fighter was found after another recent clash, containing photos of men in Soviet Union military uniforms and a black cap with Russian text that read Ministry of Defense of the USSR. Another image showed a black-and-yellow sign in Russian reading \u201cRussian Naval Infantry\u201d \u2014 Russia\u2019s equivalent of the Marines \u2014 and \u201cwherever we are there is victory.\u201d There was also a picture of a sleeve chevron of the air assault brigade of the 165th battalion of the Russian Naval Infantry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

At the sites of various clashes, militiamen have also recovered photos of wives and children, as well as boxes of pills and other medicine made in Russia for flu, headaches and even to control the bladder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Most notably, however, are the modern Russian-made weapons that have been discovered on the front lines. They include automatic rocket-propelled grenade launchers, cannister-shaped land mines, sound bombs and other explosives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

In a recovered notebook are handwritten drawings and notations in Russian listing weaponry and other military equipment, battlefield maps and geographical coordinates, combat tasks and military activity. There was also a Russian weapons manual that showed how to build mines and bombs and how to use small arms. Plastic protractors and an electric gadget to measure distances for mortar launches were found at a battle site.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve never seen these weapons before on a Libyan battlefield,\u201d said Juwaili, the top commander.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\"Smoke
Smoke from bombardments rises from the frontline of Suani, Libya on Oct. 18. (Lorenzo Tugnoli for The Washington Post)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Natasha Abbakumova in Moscow and Missy Ryan in Washington contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Washington Post<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Sudarsan Raghavan, November 5, 2019 AL AZIZIYAH, Libya \u2014 At first, the fighters inside the empty school building, about 20 burly, heavily armed Russian mercenaries in dark fatigues, seemed trapped, recalled some of the Libyan militiamen who were there. But as the Libyans pushed forward, snipers opened fire from inside with high-powered rifles. Within minutes, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1001004,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8582"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1001004"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8582"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8582\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8585,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8582\/revisions\/8585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}