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1. On 27 June 2016 satellite imagery analysed by IHS14 captured next to the two Wing Loong
two Il-76 cargo planes and an Il-18 turboprop airliner. The presence of these specific aircraft
provides evidence for the Panels assessment that a series of Il-76TD and one IL-18D owned by a
network of Moldovan companies, are operating in Libya, with at least two of them operated without
registration. The Panel has received information that the planes are chartered by Haftars LNA and
the United Arab Emirates to transport personnel, equipment and cash.
2. The IHSs analysis identified the Il-18 on 27 June 2016 noting that the only known operators
of the type are North Korea's air force and Air Koyo airline and the Russian aerospace research and
development company NPP Mir. Only three Il-18 are still registered world-wide. However, the
Panels investigation on a series of Moldovan aircraft operating regularly in Libya shows that one
IL-18 with tail number ER-ICS is flying although it is not registered. The same Il-18 as well as an
Il-76 was documented on satellite imagery on 30 December 2016.
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14
IHS, Analysis: UAE's forward operating base in Libya revealed, Jane's Defence Weekly, 27
October 2016.
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IL-18D
3. Recent reports have highlighted that several airlines registered in Moldova were sighted
transporting officers and commanders of armed groups allied to Haftars LNA. The Il-18D with tail-
number ER-ICS was documented on 15 September 2016 at the Zintan airport (see photograph.
According to information received by the Panel, the plane was chartered by an United Arab
Emirates-based entity to fly tribal elders from the east to a reconciliation conference in Nalut in the
Nafusa mountains. The Panel had further received information that the same plane was regularly
chartered to transport cash and military equipment to forces allied to Haftars LNA. 15 The plane was
also documented in Benina on 25 November 2016, unloading materiel for the LNA, and in Zintan on
1 January 2017, with military officers allegedly returning from their graduation in another Member
State.16 As mentioned above, the Panel documented through satellite imagery an IL-18 on
30 December 2016 and IHS on 27 June 2016 on the al-Khadim air base mentioned above.
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15
Similar information were obtained by the think tank Africa Intelligence, see Ghilan Family
Gives Khalifa Haftar Air Support, Maghreb Confidential n1232, Paris, 19 January 2017,
p.1.
16
Arnauld Delalande, Erik Princes Mercenaries Are Bombing Libya. For-profit combat pilots
fly Emirati Air Tractorshttp, War is Boring, 14 January 2017, //warisboring.com/erik-
princes-mauercenaries-are-bombing-libya/
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Source: Confidential
Pictures: the same IL-18D in Benina on 25 November 2016 being unloaded by LNA soldiers
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17
Twitter account of Arnaud Delalande, 26 November 2016
https://twitter.com/Arn_Del/status/802565205372768256
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The same IL-18D registered with Moldovan company Grixona, Chisinau 30 September 2013. The unique
colour scheme has remained unchanged.
Source: Russianplanes.net18
4. The IL-18D was owned by Grixona since 2007. The company was renamed Sky Prim Air in
2013. The Panel requested the log information for the flights mentioned above, but the Moldovan
authorities explained that the airplane has been de-registered from their Aviation register since 8 July
2015. It has not been re-registered since in any other country, i.e. this plane currently operates in
Libya without proper registration and thus with no aviation authority to report to.
5. Grixona and Sky Prim Air are private companies owned by Griogore Ghilian. Based on flight
data the Panel has received from Libyan airport administration, Sky Prim Air has been operating
four IL-76TD cargo planes in Libya in 2014-15. Flights were regularly conducted from the United
Arab Emirates and from Sudan.
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18
Photo by Aleksei Grichkov, photo ID 159938, 20 September 2013,
http://russianplanes.net/id159938
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ex ER-IAK @
ER-IAZ Il-76TD 1023412399 Oscar Jet Sky Prim Air Dez 15 Active
Source: Aerotransport.org data bank
9. Further, the IL-76TD with tail number ER-IAN was documented as being operated by Sky
Prim Air on 22 February 2015 from Khartoum to al-Hamada airstrip and on 8 February from
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, to Tobruk. Yet, according to aircraft databases, this plane was
registered with Aerotranscargo until 23 December 2014. Again, the Moldovan authorities confirmed
that the plane was definitively de-registered. The aircraft has since not been registered with any other
aviation authority.
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19
see Ghilan Family Gives Khalifa Haftar Air Support, Maghreb Confidential n1232, Paris,
19 January 2017, p.1.
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10. Finally, as mentioned above the Panel has noted several flights conducted in Libya by the IL-
76TD cargo plane with the tail number ER-AIX owned by Oscar Jet.
Registration history of ER-IAX
ex EY-701 to ER-
Sky Prim @ Khatlon IAX @
ER-IAR Il-76TD 63470088 Air Air Jun 2015 Feb 2016 Oscar Jet
leased from
Buraq Air Sky Prim Leased &
ER-IAR Il-76TD 63470088 Transport Air 08.08.2015 2015 Returned
ex ER-IAR
@ Buraq
Air
ER-IAX Il-76TD 63470088 Oscar Jet Transport Feb 2016 Active
Source: Aerotransport.org data bank
11. On 11 December 2016, a few days after the 12th Brigade allied to the LNA had taken the Brak
al-Shati military air base, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Bin Nayel flew on board of an Il-76TD cargo
airplane with the tail number ER-IAX operated by OscarJet.20
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20
Arnaud Delalande, op.cit.
21
Twitter account of Oded Berkowitz, 12 December 2016,
https://twitter.com/oded121351/status/808194311904985088
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