The BBC investigation reveals the extent of the Russian mercenary in Libya

A journalistic investigation has brought new insights into the key role of a Russian military contractor in the civil war in Libya, including links to war crimes and the Russian military.

The contents of a Samsung tablet left behind by an unknown member of the Vagner Group after the contractor’s fighters left areas south of Tripoli in the spring of 2020 include first-line maps in Russian. said the BBC on August 11th.

The British broadcaster said it had also acquired a list of arms and military equipment purchases included in a document from January 2020. It cites four tanks, hundreds of Kalashnikov rifles, a radar system and other equipment that experts say could have from Russian military supplies.

A Wagner Group expert said the list showed the involvement of Dmitry Utkin, a former Russian military intelligence officer believed to have founded the group.

The Vagner Group is believed to have indirect links to Russia’s political elite and is controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Both Prigogine and the Russian authorities denied any involvement with Wagner.

The Vagner group first came to public attention in 2014 when it backed pro-Russian separatists in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The group has since been involved in countries such as Syria, Mozambique, Sudan and the Central African Republic.

In April 2019, Wagner’s mercenaries joined forces with a rebel Libyan general, Khalifa Haftar, after launching an offensive against the UN-backed government in the capital, Tripoli. The conflict ended with a ceasefire in October.

The BBC investigation has gained access to two former fighters with the famous secret group who revealed details about the lack of code of conduct by the organization.

The investigation says that one of the former members admitted the murder of detainees by members of the group.

“No one wants an extra mouth to feed,” he reportedly said.

Speaking to the BBC, Prigogine said through a spokesman that he had no ties to Wagner and had not heard of any human rights abuses in Libya by the Russians. “I’m sure this is a complete lie,” he said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry told the broadcaster that reports of Wagner’s role in Libya were based on “fake data” and aimed at “discrediting Russian policy” in Libya.