Russia reportedly stepped up efforts last month to recruit Syrians to fight in Libya alongside renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar's forces.
Russia is a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The Reuters news agency says hundreds of mercenaries were signed up in May. It adds that they were hired by the private military contractor Wagner Group, under the Russian army's supervision.
Neither has commented. But a spokesman for Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army denies recruiting Syrian fighters.
Turkey, on the other hand, has previously confirmed that some Syrian rebels it supports are in Libya to fight with forces loyal to the UN-recognised government.
Wolfgang Pustay, a security and policy analyst on Libyan affairs, who once worked as Austria's defence attache to Libya, talks to Al Jazeera.
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