Libyan House of Representatives Speaker Aguila Saleh has denied that Russian forces are officially authorized to operate in Libya by the authorities he represents.
In an interview with Alhurra TV during his visit to the U.S., Saleh acknowledged the presence of foreign military forces in Libya, including Italian and Turkish troops, but refuted claims of an official Russian presence.
Saleh’s comments contradict international reports suggesting the Russian Wagner Group operates in Libya, allegedly brought in by Khalifa Haftar to support his forces.
Haftar relied on these forces during his failed 2019 offensive on Tripoli, which resulted in heavy casualties among his militias, the Libyan army, and their allies. Currently, Wagner forces are reported to be stationed in Haftar-controlled areas, including oil fields and ports.
Saleh’s statements also differ from remarks made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in 2021, who claimed that Russian involvement in eastern Libya was at the request of the Libyan House of Representatives. At the time, 48 House members issued a statement denying they had sought such intervention.