The Kremlin: Putin did not order the sending of Russian troops to Libya

The Kremlin reiterated that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not order the dispatch of troops to Libya, after publishing reports and photos confirming the presence of Russian military companies operating there under official Russian supervision.

"Vladimir Putin, the commander-in-chief of the Russian armed forces, has not sent troops to Libya, nor has he given any orders in this regard," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Peskov added in an interview hosted by Radio Echo of Moscow that there are no Russian forces in Libya.

Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov denied what Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that "Russia is currently managing the war there at the highest level."

"They currently run Wagner, but they (the Russians) still deny any link," the Turkish president told reporters.

Wagner is a private security group with mysterious activities, who is believed to be thousands of its contractors involved in conflicts, from Syria to Ukraine to the Central African Republic.

Ankara supports the reconciliation government led by Fayez al-Sarraj and recognized by the Tripoli-based United Nations, while Russia supports retired Major General Khalifa Haftar, who is based in the Libyan East.

Since April 4, Haftar's forces have besieged and bombarded the Libyan capital indiscriminately with planes and artillery, causing hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries, in addition to the displacement of tens of thousands.

On January 19, Berlin hosted an international conference on Libya, which issued a closing statement calling on all parties to ban arms supplies, but the United Nations has confirmed several times that the breach of this agreement is still continuing.