Russia has delivered over 100 military vehicles to Mali, including tanks, trucks, and infantry fighting vehicles.
It is suspected the shipment may have come from Syria following the departure of Russian troops after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
In November 2024, a coalition of Syrian rebels mounted several offensives with the intention of ousting Assad. On 8 December, as rebel troops first entered Damascus, Assad fled to Moscow and was granted political asylum by Russia, which subsequently began withdrawing large amounts of military hardware and troops from Syria, diverting some to Libya.
It appears Mali could be another recipient of this equipment: on 17 January, a convoy of over 100 vehicles arrived in Mali’s capital Bamako, where it was captured on video by local media company Cap Mali+. Half the vehicles in the convoy were trucks (including armoured Kamaz trucks and engineering vehicles) and the remainder included T-72B3M tanks, BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, BTR-82A 8×8 armoured personnel carriers, and Spartak, Linza, and Tiger 4×4 armoured personnel carriers. Also seen were three D-30 towed artillery pieces, two anti-aircraft cannons, and a couple of boats.
Frontelligence in its analysis of the convoy stated the vehicles were not sourced elsewhere and sold to Mali because they have Cyrillic text and Russian military markings. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said markings indicated the equipment had at one point been transported by rail – possibly in Russia.
“Today, Russia has deployed Wagner PMC [private military contractor] units in Mali, which became more active after the French military left the country in 2022. The French Armed Forces operated in Mali as part of Operations Serval and Barkhane from 2013 to 2022 and countered illegal military groups, including ISIS, which were trying to seize power,” the Ukrainian MoD said.
“Currently, the local indigenous population, supported by Western countries, is confronting Russian mercenaries and the pro-Russian Malian government. Most likely, the equipment will be distributed between the Wagner PMC units and government forces as part of strengthening the counteraction to paramilitary units in the country and terrorist organizations.”
Wagner (now known as Africa Corps) mercenaries have a patchy track record in engagements with militant groups such as JNIM (Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin). In July, Russian forces lost dozens of operatives to an ambush near Tinzaouaten in Mali’s western region, after being attacked by CSP-DPA (Defence of the People of Azawad) and JNIM fighters. Subsequent attacks have left hundreds of Malians and at least half a dozen Russians dead. For instance, a November attack by JNIM killed half a dozen Wagner mercenaries.
Wagner has been present in Mali since late 2021 following a military coup, replacing French troops and international peacekeepers to help fight militants who have threatened communities in the central and northern regions for over a decade. Wagner has been accused of helping to carry out raids and drone strikes that have killed civilians, with Human Rights Watch accusing both Mali’s armed forces, supported by the Wagner Group, and Islamist armed groups of committing serious abuses against civilians.
