The militants lost more than 1,000 soldiers and 100 vehicles while attacking Bamako and other cities, the Africa Corps has said
Russia’s Africa Corps has released several videos of devastating air and artillery strikes on terrorist columns in Mali after the militants launched one of the largest coordinated attacks ever across the country. The unit added that the attack, which it said involved Western and Ukrainian mercenaries, was aimed at a coup d’etat in the West African country.
The footage released by the unit – which operates under the purview of the Russian Defense Ministry – offers a rare visual account of the fighting which erupted on Saturday when Al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM and the Tuareg-dominated Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) launched almost simultaneous strikes on Bamako, Kati, Gao, Kidal, and Sevare.
One video shows a column of trucks driving along an open road before coming under what appears to be artillery or drone-delivered fire.
In the second, a dispersed group of apparent militants is seen running alongside moving vehicles in an urban area when two or three strikes land in their midst.
The third video shows the bombardment of a small column of fast-moving light buggies.
In a statement, the Africa Corps said it essentially helped prevent a coup d’etat, as they held positions along the 2,000-km front line. It added that it provided air support, which it said prevented the seizure of key facilities, including the presidential palace in Bamako. According to the unit, militant casualties exceeded 1,000 – including an estimated 200 in Bamako, 500 in Gao, 300 in Kati, and 200 in Kidal – along with more than 100 vehicles destroyed.
The corps estimated the terrorist forces at 10,000 to 12,000, and said the assault was supported by Ukrainian and European mercenaries, adding that they deployed Western-made man-portable air-defense systems, including US-manufactured Stingers and French-made Mistrals.
The Africa Corps said some of its personnel sustained injuries and were being evacuated, while describing the situation in Mali as tense.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said “preliminary data” points to the possible involvement of Western security services in training the attackers. Earlier this year, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused France of “attempting to overthrow undesirable nationalist governments” in the Sahara-Sahel using “outright terrorist groups” and “colonial methods.”
The Africa Corps was established in 2023 and has since operated in Mali, the Central African Republic, and other states, with a mandate including counter-terrorism, training local forces, and securing strategic sites.
