Several Italian newspapers (La Repubblica, Open, Libero, …) have reported today that there could be a Russian plan to destabilise the Italian election campaign.
In particular, under pressure of the Wagner group present in eastern Libya, an exodus of migrants to Italian shores is allegedly being prepared to stir up anti-immigration and more populist propaganda.
For our part, we have noted two similar missions of an Italian Air Force ATR P-72A (reg. MM62280) that took off from Sigonella AB in the last two days.
Interesting, today both an Italian and a US asset have conducted SIGINT missions off #Libyahttps://t.co/LBLYWw9N90
— Itamilradar (@ItaMilRadar) July 28, 2022
The aircraft, heading south-east, switched off its transponder almost immediately, operating for the entire mission without being able to be located. One possibility (although with the data in our possession it is not possible to be certain) is that the aircraft carried out a SIGINT mission off the coast of Libya, which has already happened in the past, in order to verify the possibility that a forced exodus towards the Italian coast is actually being prepared.
Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication (electronic intelligence—abbreviated to ELINT).
Yesterday a USNavy Lockheed EP-3E took off from Souda and operated in the area (clearly in front of Tripoli).