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Mali: Kremlin’s giant failure

Posted by Europe correspondent on

Brussels 05.05.2026 The Russian Defense Ministry’s so-called African Corps officially confirmed that its fighters and Malian government forces have left the town of Kidal in the northeast of the African country following an attack by armed anti-government groups. (Image above: courtesy Morten Oddvik)

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“In accordance with a joint decision by the leadership of the Republic of Mali, African Corps units stationed and fighting in the town of Kidal have withdrawn from the town,” the African Corps said in a Telegram message. “The personnel continue to carry out their assigned combat mission. The situation in the Republic of Mali remains difficult,” the statement added.

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Earlier, several sources reported that African Corps forces withdrew from Kidal following negotiations with advancing anti-government forces. Kidal is an important regional center.

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A helicopter belonging to the Russian Defense Ministry’s African Corps has been shot down in Mali.
The armed anti-government groups carried out a series of coordinated attacks on the capital, Bamako, and several towns in the north of the country on April 25.

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The “Afrika Korps” Telegram channel published a statement alleging an “attempted coup d’Ă©tat orchestrated by Western intelligence agencies” in Mali. The statement claimed that Russian troops had “held all significant positions.” It was reported that a helicopter belonging to the Russian Defense Ministry’s “Afrika Korps” was shot down during the fighting.

According to the Fighterbomber Telegram channel, which is affiliated with the Russian Aerospace Forces, the crew and the mobile fire team on board were killed. “The preliminary cause is external fire impact (from a surface-to-air missile system),” the statement stated. There is no official confirmation of this information.

Also on Sunday evening, April 24, Malian authorities officially confirmed the death of the country’s Defense Minister, Sadio Camara.

The 47-year-old Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs was killed after a car bomb, driven by a suicide attacker, targeted his residence in Kati, a military town near Bamako, on Saturday, April 25, 2026.

The weakening of Russia’s positions in Africa followed after the fall of Bashar al-Assad regime December 8, 2024, ending 53 years of rule by the Assad family. The events led to loss of a significant logistic route to Africa.

At present Russia formaly keeps a naval base at Tartus and an air base in Hmeimim, however there is no information about their funcitonality. Both are on the Mediterranean coast, and play a major role in projecting Russian military power abroad. The future of the bases was on the agenda when Vladimir Putin met Ahmed al-Sharaa October 15, 2025, Syria’s new self-appointed rules, in Moscow on 15 October. The meeting resulted in a commitment by Damascus to honour all agreements made by the former regime.

Moscow operates its Syrian bases under a 49-year agreement made with Damascus in January 2017, which the new Syrian authorities have suspended – but not terminated – ahead of a probable renegotiation.

The Khmeimim airbase acts as a refueling point and transit hub for Russian heavy transport aircraft (such as Il-76s and An-124s) moving personnel and equipment from Russia down to Libya and sub-Saharan Africa. It is also crucial for the naval support and Logistics. Tartus serves as a Mediterranean hub for ships supplying heavy equipment to Tobruk, Libya, which is a major logistical node for Russia’s African operations.

The bases in Syria allow Russia to sustain a rapid-response capability in Libya, providing support to warlord Khalifa Haftar and facilitating operations in Mali, Niger, and the Central African Republic. As of February 2026, Russia has engaged in talks to re-purpose these bases as hubs for “delivering humanitarian assistance to African nations”, which some analysts view as a continuation of military logistical support.

The Africa Corps has a smaller and more integrated role compared to PMC Wagner, focusing on providing military support, training, and urban counterterrorism cooperation with local Russia-aligned governments in countries like Libya, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and the Central African Republic.

As many as 2,500 Russian personnel were reportedly deployed as of early 2026 in Mali, where they have supported combat operations against Islamist and separatist insurgents, according to the U.S. Congress sources. (https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12389)

“Mali’s military junta reportedly reached a deal with the Wagner Group in late 2021, at a cost of $10 million per month, according to the State Department. Wagner’s entry intensified diplomatic strains with France, contributing to France’s withdrawal in 2022 of thousands of troops that had conducted counterterrorism operations with U.S. support.

“In 2023, a UN peacekeeping mission ended at the junta’s demand. Later that year, with Russian support, Malian state forces recaptured the separatist stronghold of Kidal, a long-standing goal. The Africa Corps formally took control of ex-Wagner networks in Mali in mid-2025. Russian forces have since reportedly helped protect fuel imports amid an Islamist militant blockade on Bamako”.

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