Investigation Reveals Russia’s Ghost Fleet Supplies Military to Libya
An investigation reveals that Russia is using its ghost fleet to transport military equipment to Khalifa Haftar in Libya, exploiting aging commercial vessels with concealed ownership. The European naval mission Operation Irini aims to counteract these tactics by intensifying monitoring and enforcement against violations of the arms embargo. Despite accusations against Haftar’s regime, Western officials have yet to brand him as a pariah, raising concerns about the broader implications of Russia’s growing influence in the Mediterranean region.
Recent investigations reveal that Russia is leveraging its ghost fleet—an assortment of aging commercial vessels with concealed ownership—to transfer military equipment to Liberian general Khalifa Haftar. Among these vessels, the Cameroonian-flagged cargo ship Barbaros made a notable journey from Russia through the Bosphorus toward a Libyan port controlled by Haftar, who has been implicated in serious human rights violations by the United Nations.
Maritime analyst Yörük Işık identified the Barbaros as a “ship of interest,” discovering that it transported trucks likely used for military purposes, manufactured by a Russian company under international sanctions. Following this revelation, the European Union’s naval mission Operation Irini intensified its efforts to monitor and intercept such shipments in accordance with the international arms embargo against Libya.
Leaked documents show the various methods employed by the ghost fleet to evade detection while delivering Russian military resources to Libya. Notably, the Barbaros manipulated its Automatic Identification System (AIS) to obscure its true location, even changing its name multiple times since 2013. Although the European naval mission discovered 115 Russian-made trucks on board during a May 2024 inspection that were not specifically modified for military use, the seizure did highlight the increasing militarization of the region.
For nearly a decade, the Kremlin has supported Haftar’s forces, viewing them as a valuable ally in exerting influence over Libya, an area rich in resources. Despite Haftar’s allegations of crimes against humanity, Western authorities have not labeled him an international pariah, demonstrating strategic inconsistencies in their approach towards him amid the growing Russian presence in the region.
European officials have expressed concerns regarding Russia’s influence in eastern Libya, underscoring the need for increased engagement with Haftar’s institutions, lest Moscow expand its foothold further. Anas El Gomati from the Sadeq Institute emphasized that Russia’s involvement is primarily about countering Western strategies, indicating that Libya serves as a critical geographic base for Russia’s operations in Africa.
Recent reports suggest that Russian military engagements in Libya have notably surged with the shipment of arms and personnel, transforming the situation into an immediate security challenge for Europe. The involvement of Russian private military contractors and rapid military shipments indicates a strategic expansion that poses risk not only to Libya but also to Europe itself due to migration routes and regional stability issues.
The infiltration of Russia’s ghost fleet in Libya has significant ramifications for both regional and European security. By utilizing obscured commercial vessels to deliver military resources to Khalifa Haftar, Moscow is amplifying its influence while exploiting the vulnerabilities of established international sanctions. Western inaction against Haftar further complicates the geopolitical landscape, with Russia’s expanding military footprint presenting immediate security challenges for Europe as migration routes grow increasingly destabilized.
Original Source: www.icij.org
