Spies: Russian-linked mercenaries try to destabilise Italy with migrant influx
Russia is trying to destabilise Italy by sending thousands of migrants across the Mediterranean Sea from areas in Libya controlled by its Wagner mercenaries, Italian intelligence has warned.
Nearly 39,000 migrants have reached Italy this year, compared to 27,771 in total in 2021, according to media reports, many of whom left from near Tobruk, a port city on Libya’s eastern Mediterranean coast that is controlled by Wagner and its Libyan allies.
‘‘Libya is a cannon aimed at the electoral campaign. Immigration is perhaps the most powerful weapon for those who have an interest in destabilising and, therefore, in interfering with the
September vote,’’ La Repubblica newspaper quoted an Italian intelligence agent as saying.
The Italian government headed by Mario Draghi collapsed this month and an election has been set for September 25.
One of the main parties involved in bringing the government down was The League, an anti-immigration party headed by Matteo Salvini, who is reported to have close links to Russia. He once posed in Red Square while wearing a t-shirt bearing a picture of the Russian leader.
Two former Italian prime ministers on Friday called for an urgent investigation into claims that Moscow had put pressure on Salvini to withdraw his support.
The League has forged a right-wing alliance with the Brothers of Italy and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party.
An influx of migrants could alarm Italian public opinion and help the right-wing alliance, in particular Salvini, because he has been outspoken on the need to curb unauthorised arrivals.
The accusation that Russia is using migrants to destabilise Europe and boost its supporters comes less than a year after Belarusian leader and close Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko sent thousands of migrants from the Middle East into the EU.
Belarus invited people – mainly in Iraq – to fly to Minsk and then bussed them to the country’s heavily forested border with Poland and told them to walk across.