Libya affirmed on Saturday that it does not permit any foreign entity to use the Misrata air base to launch attacks, denying allegations that Ukrainian drones were operating from the military base in northwestern Libya to strike Russian tankers in the Mediterranean.
The Libyan Ministry of Defense said in a Facebook statement that it followed up on allegations contained in a press report regarding the use of the Misrata military base as a launching pad for carrying out military operations targeting foreign parties or interests.
Earlier US media had reported, citing a Ukrainian source, that Ukrainian drone operators have been deployed in northwestern Libya since late 2025. The report added, citing on another source, that the Misrata military base is being used as a “launching pad” for drones to attack tankers belonging to the Russian shadow fleet in the region, in exchange for providing training to Libyan forces.
“In this regard, the Ministry of Defense categorically denies the existence of any agreement, arrangement or coordination that allows the Misrata military base, or any national military facility, to be used as a platform to launch attacks or carry out military operations of any kind outside the framework of the sovereign tasks of the Libyan state.”
The statement added, “The Ministry of Defense stresses that all forms of military cooperation and technical training with friendly countries are subject to approved official and legal frameworks. It also affirms its full commitment to the sovereignty of the Libyan state, and its refusal to use Libyan territory as a launching pad for actions that would endanger Libyan national security or Libya’s foreign relations.”
Earlier in March, the Libyan Ports and Maritime Transport Authority announced that the Russian tanker Arctic Metagaz carrying liquefied natural gas had been “subjected to explosions followed by a massive fire that led to its complete sinking” north of the port of Sirte.
However, the Russian Ministry of Transport stated that the attack on the tanker was carried out from the Libyan coast using naval drones belonging to the Ukrainian Navy. (AFP+EIR)
