Russia ships weapons to Africa, violating sanctions, AP reports
The deliveries represent another sign of Russia's expanding military footprint in African nations.
Russian-flagged cargo ships delivered howitzers, radio jammers, and other military equipment to a port in Guinea in late May after a month-long voyage from the Baltic Sea, the AP reported. Other ships made deliveries to the same port in January, carrying armored vehicles and tanks.
Some of the vessels involved in the shipments, including Russia's Baltic Leader and Patria, are on Western sanctions lists.
The weapons delivered to Guinea were then carried in trucks to neighboring Mali, European military officials told the AP. The outlet analyzed video footage from a Malian blogger to verify the report.
Footage analyzed by the AP identified Russian-made 152 mm artillery guns, small cannons, and a BTR-80 armored troop carrier equipped with radio-jamming devices entering Mali. The delivery also included tanker trucks and semi-inflatable boats, one marked with a painted Russian flag.
Read also: US warns 'serious consequences' over Russian naval base plans in Sudan
According to military officials, most of the weapons were likely delivered not to the Malian Armed Forces but to Russia's "Africa Corps," a paramilitary group controlled by the Russian Defense Ministry. Russian mercenaries, including the notorious Wagner Group, have fought alongside Malian government forces since 2021, in attempts to fend off Islamic insurgents.
The Wagner Group announced its withdrawal from Mali on June 6, but Africa Corps intends to maintain an active presence in the country.
Satellite images from the Bamako air base indicate that Africa Corps also has at least one Su-24 bomber, the AP reported.
Wagner forces in Mali have been sanctioned for alleged war crimes and widespread looting. In December 2024, Human Rights Watch accused Wagner mercenaries and Malian government forces of deliberately killing 32 civilians.
Wagner mercenaries and Malian soldiers have also reportedly suffered heavy losses in their engagements with Tuareg-led rebels.
After a short-lived rebellion against Moscow led by former Wagner Commander Yevgeny Prigozhin in June 2023, Russia sought to tighten its control over operations in Africa — the majority of which were led by Wagner forces.
The influx of Russian weapons into Mali is likely accelerating Africa Corps' rise over Wagner in the region, officials and experts told the AP. The weaponry could also help prevent Russian forces in Africa from suffering the kinds of heavy losses incurred last summer.
Read also: In African universities, Russia's war against Ukraine finds new supporters
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The Hill
11 minutes ago
- The Hill
Putin flexes India, China ties ahead of planned Trump meeting
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Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump says he will meet Putin next Friday in Alaska to discuss ending the Ukraine war
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USA Today
32 minutes ago
- USA Today
Trump and Putin meeting in Alaska to discuss Ukraine war
The Aug. 15 summit will be the first in-person meeting of the leaders during Trump's second term and comes as the president seeks a peace deal to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet next week in Alaska to discuss an end to the three-year Russian war on Ukraine in the first in-person session between the two world leaders since Trump returned to the White House in January. 'The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska,' Trump wrote on Aug. 8 in a post on Truth Social. "Further details to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" The announcement comes on the same day a Trump-imposed deadline on Putin to end the war in Ukraine expires. Talks have been floated for months and were initially supposed to include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with Trump facilitating the negotiations. More: Trump says deal to halt Russia's war on Ukraine could include 'swapping' of territories When that didn't make progress, Trump said on Aug. 7 that he was open to meeting Putin without Zelenskyy's presence being a prerequisite. On July 28, Trump announced that he would be giving Russia 10 to 12 days to end its three-year war on Ukraine or face "stiff tariffs." That deadline falls on Aug. 8. More: Trump signs new peace agreement that includes the 'Trump Route' Trump has threatened to impose "secondary tariffs" of up to 100% on countries that trade with Russia, particularly those in the energy sector. The president also this week signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on imports from India in retaliation for the country's Russian oil imports, doubling India's U.S. tariff rate to 50%. Then-President Joe Biden is the last U.S. leader to meet with Putin, during a 2021 summit in Switzerland. Trump and Putin met in Finland in 2018. Both meetings took place before Russia war launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Turkey hosted a previous round of negotiations in May between Russia and Ukraine that Zelenskyy challenged Putin to show up to in person. Trump said he'd come, too, if he thought it would help. None of the leaders ended up attending. Contributing: Francesca Chambers
