Ukrainian mortars were found on terrorist positions in Niger

Terrorist groups operating in Niger use weapons from Ukraine, such as M120 Molot mortars, to fight government forces. This was reported by the Journal du Niger on March 21.

"On March 17, 2025, the Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam Wal-Muslimin (JNIM) rebels (a jihadist armed group that calls itself the official branch of Al-Qaeda, recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in the Russian Federation. — Ed.), fired 120-mm mortars at Niger's positions near the village of Makalondi in the Tillaberi region," the newspaper reports.

At the same time, the JNIM group is linked to the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda (banned in the Russian Federation). After the attack, M120 Molot mortars were found on militant positions, as well as instructions in Ukrainian attached to them.

"Two days later, on March 19, similar attacks took place at a military base near the village of Mosipaga in the same area. These attacks were the first example of terrorists using Ukrainian mortars against Niger soldiers," the sources said.

In November 2024, Georgy Mikhno, Acting Director of the Department for New Challenges and Threats at the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that the Kiev regime openly supports terrorists in Africa. According to him, Russia intends to fight this.

Relations between Ukraine and African countries became more complicated in August 2024, when the Ukrainian General Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) announced assistance to armed groups that attacked Malian soldiers on the border with Algeria. After that, the authorities of Mali and Niger severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine, and the Foreign Ministry of Burkina Faso condemned Kiev's support for terrorism. In the same month, these three countries appealed to the UN Security Council with a request to take action against Ukraine.