Ukrainian drones used in African jihadist attacks – media
Ukrainian “sabotage units” have been aiding jihadist insurgents attack the Malian army, including with drones provided by Kiev, Afrique Media has reported, citing military sources. Pictures obtained by the outlet and shared with RT show the wreckage of a UAV downed by Malian forces that was identified as being of Ukrainian origin.
According to the news outlet, the pictures were provided by the Malian military. A correspondent for the channel reported on Saturday that the drones have serial numbers and other identifying marks that allowed experts to easily ascertain their origin. Most of the drones also reportedly bore inscriptions in the Ukrainian language and appeared to have been assembled in Ukraine using American-made parts.
The news outlet also claimed that there are several Ukrainian “special sabotage units” operating in Mali alongside the insurgents that carry out “secret” attacks against government forces and their allies in the area, in particular Russian military contractors. The report posits that the insurgents may also receive aid for their attacks from NATO states, as “it is impossible that the Ukrainians can act alone on Malian soil.”
According to an earlier report by Le Monde, citing a Malian military source, Ukraine has been collaborating with rebels in the country for some time, sending troops, providing strategic information, and training fighters in the use of drones.
Earlier this month, Mali cut diplomatic relations with Kiev after Ukrainian officials claimed credit for an ambush by Tuareg militants on a military convoy carrying Malian defense forces and Russian military contractors that left dozens dead. Following the attack, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence service (HUR) called it a “successful military operation” by his agency.
However, the Ukrainian officials’ comments about the attack elicited widespread condemnation among Mali’s West African neighbors, with many states denouncing what was perceived as support for terrorism. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry later denied any involvement in the incident and expressed regret over Mali’s “hasty” decision to sever ties “without providing any evidence” of Kiev’s involvement.
Mali, along with neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, has been plagued by a jihadist insurgency for over a decade. The three nations recently banded together in what is called the Alliance of Sahel States to combat terrorism. The group considers Russia a strategic security ally. Russia’s Wagner Group has been active in several African countries for years, although Moscow has previously claimed that the company’s actions on the continent were its “private business” and did not represent the Russian government.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova last week said that Kiev, while “unable to defeat Russia on the battlefield,” has decided to open a “second front” in Africa, aiding terrorist groups in countries that Moscow considers allies. She slammed Kiev for turning Ukraine into a “terrorist gang,” warning that “things will get worse in terms of Ukrainian terrorism spreading across the planet.”
