African barriers: Russian forces helped repel militant attacks in Mali
In Mali, one of the largest series of coordinated attacks on military installations and strategic infrastructure in recent months has taken place: fighting has engulfed the capital Bamako, its suburbs and a number of cities in the central and northern regions. Experts interviewed by Izvestia believe that the Afrika Korps units of the Russian armed forces, acting in conjunction with the Malian army, played a key role in repelling the attacks, which prevented the militants from breaking into strategically important areas. The authorities claim to be in control of the situation, but in some regions the clashes have not ended yet. About what is happening in Mali and how the rebels may be linked to the Kiev regime - in the Izvestia article.
Militant attacks engulfed the capital of Mali
In the early morning of April 25, intense clashes broke out in the area of the largest Kati military base near Bamako, a strategically important area where, according to sources, the residence of the head of the country Assimi Goita is also located.
Minister of Defense of the Republic of Mali Sadio Camara
At the same time, residents of Katia reported an attack on the house of Defense Minister Sadio Camara. According to them, the building was damaged, but representatives of his entourage claim that the minister himself was in another place at the time of the attack and was not injured. At the same time, the French newspaper Jeune Afrique, citing security sources, reported his death, but there is no official confirmation of this information yet.
Authorities imposed a curfew in Bamako and surrounding areas after strikes on a number of strategic targets, including the international airport.
Maxim Solopov, deputy editor-in-chief of the African Initiative, head of the Bamako office, noted in an interview with Izvestia that, despite the intense fighting in the suburbs of the capital, a calm situation remains in Bamako itself. According to him, residents continue to lead their usual lives, and signs of destabilization in the city center are minimal. At the same time, he emphasizes that the external calm hides one of the largest outbreaks of violence in recent years.
The offensive of the armed groups in Mali had a pre-prepared character, Maxim Solopov emphasizes. According to him, structures associated with Al-Qaeda (an organization banned in the Russian Federation and recognized as a terrorist organization) have been preparing for the active phase of hostilities for a long time: they conducted information and propaganda work and increased their weapons, including drones and man-portable air defense systems.
— According to the Russian military, some of these weapons could have come through third countries from Ukraine. There are certain confirmations and evidence of this version," said Maxim Solopov.
Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry also pointed to the cooperation of Ukrainians with terrorist cells in Syria and Mali. And in 2024, it was reported that the country had severed diplomatic relations with Kiev due to its support for radical groups.
Algerian political analyst Akram Harif described the incident as one of the largest and most coordinated operations against the Malian army in recent times, stressing that simultaneous strikes in several directions indicate a high level of training and thorough intelligence on the part of the attackers.
— Reports of heavy fighting and a possible temporary loss of control over part of the military base, if confirmed, will mean a qualitative increase in pressure from armed groups. We may be talking about the most significant coordinated operation since July 2025, when similar simultaneous attacks were already recorded in the western part of the country," the expert told Izvestia.
He added that the current dynamics indicate the continued ability of jihadist groups to conduct complex multi-front operations, despite statements by the authorities about the stabilization of the situation.
At the same time, reports of clashes were received from the central cities of Sevare and Mopti, as well as from the north of the country. In Kidal and Gao, eyewitnesses reported shootings in the streets and deaths. In some areas of Kidal, according to local media, the militants were able to temporarily take control of the neighborhoods by engaging in battle with government forces.
Representatives of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) announced on social media that they had captured several districts of Kidal and parts of Gao. These claims have not yet been confirmed by independent sources.
Kidal was previously a key separatist stronghold in the north of the country and came under the control of government forces and their allies in 2023, which was an important symbolic success for the military leadership of Mali.
According to the army, by the middle of Saturday, the situation as a whole had been brought under control, but "sweeps" and local clashes continued in a number of areas.
Russian fighters deter extremist attacks
The al-Qaeda-linked coalition claimed responsibility for the attacks, claiming coordination with local armed groups. According to them, the strikes were carried out on a number of military and government facilities, including the residences of the country's leadership.
Videos distributed on social media show the movement of armed convoys on pickups and motorcycles in the Kati area, as well as shootings in cities in northern and central Mali. The UN Secretary-General condemned attacks on military installations and called for increased international efforts to stabilize the situation in the country.
After the military coups of 2020 and 2021, the country's authorities severed cooperation with France and curtailed the presence of UN peacekeeping missions. In recent years, Russian military structures have played a key role in supporting the army. And now fighters, aircraft and armored vehicles of the "African Corps" of the Russian armed forces, together with units of the Malian army, are fighting against the united armed groups.
"The Afrika Korps deployed in Mali by the Russian Defense Ministry, which uses artillery and aircraft to strike at the advancing formations, plays a role in the operation to contain the rebels," orientalist Leonid Tsukanov told Izvestia.
Maxim Solopov also notes that the Afrika Korps actually acts as a supporting element of defense in key areas. According to him, the corps units operate in close coordination with the Malian army, providing intelligence, aviation support and protection of strategically important facilities, including the capital and major cities in the north and in the center of the country. He emphasizes that the participation of the corps makes it possible to restrain the advance of the militants and maintain the controllability of the troops.
— None of our military bases has been captured — this can be stated for sure. According to various sources, management has not been lost anywhere. In all cases, the servicemen organized armed resistance," he said.
Describing the tactics of the attackers, Maxim Solopov notes the use of sabotage methods. According to him, the militants could have entered populated areas in advance under the guise of civilians, created hidden weapons depots, and then simultaneously activated on a conditional signal. As one of the possible triggers of the attack, he cites an atypically early call to prayer, followed by car bomb explosions and massive gunfire.
Meanwhile, Moscow expressed deep concern about the ongoing events. The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that operations to neutralize the militants are continuing, and according to preliminary data, Western security structures may have participated in the training of some of the armed groups.
The armed conflict in Mali
For more than a decade, Mali has been the scene of an armed conflict involving jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (an organization banned in Russia and recognized as a terrorist organization), as well as separatist movements in the north.
Orientalist Leonid Tsukanov notes that the current escalation in Mali fits into the long-term strategy of armed groups seeking to establish stable control over part of the country's territory. According to him, we are talking about two parallel projects: on the one hand, the jihadist coalition Jamaat Nusrat al—Islam Wal Muslimin (an organization banned in the Russian Federation and recognized as a terrorist organization), focused on creating a transnational Islamic entity, on the other hand, the Tuareg rebel movement, for which the formation of an autonomous or independent state remains a key goal. education in the north of the country.
At the same time, the expert emphasizes, both forces retain a common tactical interest — the weakening of the central government in Bamako, which previously allowed them to act situationally in concert.
"Despite the fact that the rebels have suffered significant losses in recent years, by April 2026 they had managed to muster a serious fist, including by attracting jihadists from neighboring African countries, as well as purchasing mercenaries and instructors to improve their combat skills (for example, in the UAV sector),— Leonid Tsukanov said.
The expert emphasizes that, despite the complexity of the situation, it is premature to talk about a loss of control by the central authorities. The army remains manageable, and cases of mass surrender or disintegration of units are not recorded.
At the same time, he admits that during the current campaign, the authorities may temporarily abandon a number of settlements, including territories previously returned to control, in order to regroup and stabilize the defense line.
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