Ukraine has deployed drone operators to work alongside rebel groups in Mali, Sudan and Libya to counter Russian military presence in the region, according to reporting based on interviews with Ukrainian personnel. Russia has deployed approximately 5,000 troops across the three countries since 2020 to support military governments and armed groups, often in exchange for mining rights.
Ukraine embeds drone operators with African rebels to fight Russian forces across Mali, Sudan and Libya
Ukraine has deployed drone operators to work alongside rebel groups in Mali, Sudan and Libya to counter Russian military presence in the region, according to reporting based on interviews with Ukrainian personnel. Russia has deployed approximately 5,000 troops across the three countries since 2020 to support military governments and armed groups, often in exchange for mining rights.
Fifteen Ukrainian drone operators are embedded with the Azawad Liberation Front rebel group in Mali, fighting against more than 2,000 Russian troops in the desert that support the military junta of General Assimi Goïta, who took power in back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021 and has since ruled without elections.
One Ukrainian drone operator told CNN that he coordinates rebel operations remotely, receiving drone signals over the internet and directing operations via radio. He stated he does not travel to front lines under orders from his superiors.
Ukraine has also trained troops from Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso who traveled to Mali to learn from Ukrainian soldiers deployed there, according to a Ukrainian Defense Intelligence source who said cultural and religious differences fade when both sides face the same adversary.
The Ukrainian operations in Africa echo similar efforts in the Middle East, where the source said Kyiv has deployed drone expertise to assist US allies against Iranian-made Shahed drones. A Ukrainian Defense Intelligence source stated that Ukraine is turning drone experience into a foreign policy tool.
Russia has recruited foreign nationals from 136 countries to fight in Ukraine, according to an Amnesty International report published Thursday. The report found recruitment involved deceptive, coercive and exploitative practices, with men from Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Somalia and South Africa often lured by false promises of civilian jobs, high salaries, legal status or citizenship.
British military intelligence reported Friday that 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the start of the war in Ukraine, with total Russian casualties including wounded soldiers reaching 1.5 million.
- The source does not state when the Ukrainian drone operators were deployed to Mali or when their operations began.
- The source does not specify what mining rights or resources Russia has obtained in exchange for military support in the three African countries.
- The source does not provide details on the size, scope or outcomes of Ukrainian training provided to troops from Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso.
- The source does not name the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence official providing quotes or details on his position and authority.
- The source does not state how Ukraine coordinates its drone operations in Africa with the Azawad Liberation Front or other rebel groups on the ground.
- The source does not establish Ukraine's strategic objectives in Africa beyond countering Russian influence.
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