In northern Mali, on May 18, rebels shot down a Russian “Shahed-136” strike drone used by mercenaries affiliated with Russia.
This was stated by the presidential commissioner for sanctions policy Vladyslav Vlasyuk in a comment to Ukrinform.
According to him, this is the first confirmed case of the use of the Russian "Shahed" in the African Sahel region. This is a new modification of the KK series drone with air-to-air detonation of the warhead.
The downed drone was found to contain Chinese civilian electronics parts — microcircuits, transistors, diodes, and relays — available on the open market. Similar electronic components are found in the drones that Russia is using in its war against Ukraine.
"Russia is increasingly actively transferring its military technologies and instruments of war to other regions — in particular, to Africa. And it does this largely at the expense of dual-use components, which continue to flow unhindered into Russian production," Vlasyuk said.
He emphasized that as long as the supply of such components to the Russian Federation is not strictly controlled, Russian UAV production will continue to scale "along with the geography of their application".
What is happening in Mali?
Tuareg rebels have been fighting for years to establish their own state in northern Mali, much of which they effectively control. Mali is currently ruled by a military junta led by General Assimi Goyta, who first seized power in a coup in 2020, promising to restore security and push back armed groups.
The junta enjoyed popular support when it came to power, promising to resolve a long-running security crisis caused by a Tuareg insurgency in the north that was later taken over by Islamist militants.
UN peacekeepers and French troops, who were supposed to prevent the escalation of the rebellion, left the country after the junta came to power, and the military government hired Russian mercenaries to help fight the rebels. From that moment on, Russiaʼs influence in Mali has grown significantly.
The Africa Corps, now controlled by the Russian Ministry of Defense, took over operations previously managed by the PMC “Wagner” after the death of its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin in 2023.
In late April 2026, rebels launched a series of attacks on military targets in Mali. An attack on his residence killed Maliʼs Defense Minister Sadio Camara, who was considered Russiaʼs main ally in the country.
- In 2024, Mali severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of supporting the rebels after reports that Malian troops and the PMC “Wagner” mercenaries suffered heavy losses in clashes with the Tuareg.
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