RFI published on 4 April that 200 or more Ukrainian officers are stationed at two sites in Libya: the Misrata Air Force Academy (shared with Turkish, Italian, US AFRICOM, and British intelligence personnel) and a drone launch facility at Ezzawiya port with direct Mediterranean sea access. A Magura V5 autonomous surface drone launched from Ezzawiya disabled the Russian LNG carrier Arktik Metagaz on 4 March. Ukraine's Black Sea campaign (2023 to 2025) operated from Ukrainian soil. The Mediterranean campaign uses a third country's territory with Tripoli government consent but no formal alliance framework.
General Andriy Bayuk brokered the agreement, which includes long-term arms deliveries and Ukrainian investment in Libya's oil sector. Zelenskyy's Gulf security deals signed in March created the diplomatic architecture; Libya provides the physical reach. The operational range now extends more than 2,000 km beyond the Black Sea.
Russia has threatened to strike the Libyan bases. That threat carries different weight than strikes on Ukrainian soil: Libya is outside NATO's Article 5, the EU, and any mutual defence treaty with Ukraine. The Government of National Unity in Tripoli authorised the Ukrainian presence, making any Russian strike a direct attack on Libyan sovereignty, but Libya has no defence guarantee from any major power that would compel a response.
