Mercenaries from Ukraine are training forces in Sirte, Libya

Latin American mercenaries who fought in Ukraine stayed in Libya after a joint US-Libya exercise and began training forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar. A social media analysis by RIA Novosti revealed that Argentine and Brazilian mercenaries are deployed in Sirte.

Scraper SystemJuly 03, 2026, 10:47 AM

Mercenaries from Ukraine are training forces in Sirte, Libya

A group of Latin American mercenaries who fought in Ukraine has moved to Libya to work as trainers.

Argentine and Brazilian mercenaries arrived in the Libyan city of Sirte at the end of April 2026. These individuals, who previously fought within the 47th Brigade "Magura" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, left the unit after it suffered heavy losses in the Sumy region and headed to Libya.

The entry of foreign fighters into Libya took place during the Flintlock 2026 exercise organized by the US Africa Command (AFRICOM). In the second half of April, the exercise held around Sirte was attended jointly by Libya's rival sides – the Government of National Unity (west) and the Libyan National Army (east). The exercise was conducted in the area controlled by Libyan National Army commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

However, after the exercise ended, the mercenaries did not leave the country. RIA Novosti identified at least seven Argentines and five Brazilians. Almost all of them had previously served in the 47th Brigade.

Critical information was obtained from the social media account of Argentine citizen and former soldier Axel Dilschnaider. Of German descent and holding far-right views, Dilschnaider went to Ukraine in 2024 and was seriously wounded in the leg.

According to Dilschnaider's posts, the mercenaries traveled from Poland on a scheduled Turkish Airlines flight via Istanbul to the Libyan city of Benghazi, and from there by military aircraft to Sirte. On April 23, Dilschnaider shared the shoulder patch of the "Wolf Warrior" (Kurt Savaşçı) unit with a Sirte location tag and the note "instructor." This date coincides with the timing of the exercise.

The mercenaries continue to post videos and photos of themselves training Libyan soldiers around Sirte and at the Gardabiya Air Base, 15 kilometers from the city. Although they conceal the insignia of the units being trained, RIA Novosti identified the emblem of the General Directorate of Security Forces, which is affiliated with the Libyan National Army, in the footage. This unit was established in July 2023 under the command of Field Marshal Haftar's son, Brigadier General Khalid Haftar, and functions as a military police force.

Photos show the mercenaries deployed in a hangar at the Gardabiya Air Base. The posts reveal that tactical training and work with Soviet-made light weapons are being conducted. It is stated that some of the trainers have drone operation skills, including the use of "Baba Yaga" type unmanned aerial vehicles they acquired during the fighting in Ukraine.

Mercenaries from Ukraine are training forces in Sirte, Libya