Radio France Internationale (RFI) reports that Ukraine is behind the attack on the Russian gas tanker Arctic Metagaz using Magura V5 maritime drones launched from the western coast of Libya. The drones were reportedly launched from the Mellitah base, where Ukrainian military personnel are stationed, and targeted the engine room, causing it to flood and disabling the vessel.
Ukraine maintains a physical military presence in the western part of the country, with more than 200 Ukrainian army officers and experts deployed with the approval of the Dbeibeh government. These personnel are stationed at three sites in western Libya: the Air Force Academy in Misrata, a base near the Mellitah oil complex fully equipped for launching aerial and maritime drones, and the “111th Brigade” camp on Airport Road in Tripoli, commanded by Abdelsalam Zoubi, the Deputy Minister of Defense in the Dbeibeh government. The Airport Road camp is used for coordination meetings between Ukrainian elements and the Dbeibeh government forces.
The Ukrainian experts operate from a site granted by the Dbeibeh government that features a direct view of the sea; it was developed during October and November 2025 to be reinforced and equipped with necessary runways and antennas. This Ukrainian presence followed an official request from the Ukrainian military attaché in Algeria, General Andriy Payuk. Tripoli signed an agreement last October with a Ukrainian military advisor to permit this deployment. In exchange for this presence, the Dbeibeh government receives military training programs, particularly in the use of drones. The agreement also stipulates arms sales deals and long-term Ukrainian investments in the Libyan oil sector.
Ukrainian authorities did not respond to inquiries, and the Dbeibeh government has remained silent. In October 2025, Moscow accused Dbeibeh of supporting Ukrainian groups and providing them with logistical facilities under the direct support of British intelligence.