House of Representatives Speaker Aguila Saleh has denied the presence of Russian forces in Libya with official authorization from the authorities he represents.
Speaking in an interview with Alhurra TV during his visit to the United States, Saleh confirmed the presence of foreign military groups in Libya, including Italian and Turkish forces, but rejected claims of an official Russian presence.
Saleh's remarks contradict international reports that indicate the presence of the Russian Wagner Group in Libya, allegedly brought in by Khalifa Haftar to support his forces.
Haftar relied on these forces during his failed offensive on Tripoli in 2019, which left thousands of his militia members, as well as Libyan army forces and their allies, dead or wounded. Currently, Wagner forces are reported to be stationed in areas under Haftar's control, including oil fields and ports.
Saleh's statements also diverge from comments made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in 2021, who stated that Russian involvement in eastern Libya was at the request of the Libyan House of Representatives. At the time, 48 members of the House issued a statement denying that they had requested such intervention.