Hommam Al Nassim 
Radio France International published a report confirming that a drone targeted a Russian military aircraft “Ilyushin” last June at the Khadim base in northeastern Libya.
In its report, the radio pointed to the targeting of a Russian military aircraft of the same model that was carrying electronic jamming devices on the runway at Jufra airport in December. French radio said Washington had accused Russia of using Libya as a platform to regulate its activities in the Sahel region.
In press statements, the AFRICOM command denied reports circulating about its participation in the bombing of a Russian cargo plane at Jufra air base.
This comes at a time when Washington is alarmed by Russian activity in Africa from Libya, especially with its insistence on establishing a military corps in the region.
A few days ago, the French newspaper Le Monde reported that the Russian Defense Ministry had created a new corps called Africa Corps, to strengthen its presence and spread more widely in Libya and Africa.
It added in a lengthy report that this corps will include Wagner elements and new recruits, noting that the procedures for accepting new recruits have begun.
These Russian reforms at Wagner come after mutual visits between Benghazi and Moscow that resulted in an agreement between Haftar and Putin to expand the Russian presence in Libya and Africa through the new component Africa Corps.
Le Monde said Moscow, under the supervision of the Ministry of Defense, was trying to renew its African system and forget about the “Wagner sign,” according to Le Monde.
Last November, Bloomberg published details of a defense agreement being drafted between Russia and Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar that would allow for an increased Russian military presence in Libya.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Haftar, a powerful military commander in eastern Libya, are working on a defense agreement after Haftar’s visit to Moscow last September and Putin’s meeting, the agency said, citing informed sources. Insiders, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the new plan could lead to the creation of a naval base, giving Moscow a significant foothold on Europe’s southern doorstep. Also, at the end of November, the State Department said Haftar should not rely on the Russian president to establish a Russian military corps in Africa.