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African media says Kiev has sabotage forces helping jihadist rebels attack government forces
Ukrainian “sabotage units” have been assisting jihadist insurgents in attacks on Malian troops, including using drones supplied by Kiev, Afrique Media reported, citing military sources. Images obtained by the outlet and shared with RT show the wreckage of a drone shot down by Malian troops, which was identified as Ukrainian-made.
The photos were provided by the Malian military, according to the news outlet. A reporter for the channel reported on Saturday that the drones had serial numbers and other identifying marks, allowing experts to easily determine their origins. Most of the drones also reportedly had inscriptions in Ukrainian and appeared to have been assembled in Ukraine using U.S.-made parts.
The news outlet also claims that in Mali, several Ukrainian “special sabotage units” operate alongside the rebels to carry out “secret” attacks against government forces and their allies in the region, particularly Russian military contractors. The report suggests that the rebels may also receive assistance for the attacks from NATO countries, as “it is impossible for the Ukrainians to act alone on Malian territory.”
As previously reported by Le Monde, Malian military sources revealed that Ukraine has been cooperating with the country’s rebels for some time, sending troops, providing strategic information, and training fighters to use drones.
African Media
Mali severed diplomatic ties with Kiev earlier this month after Ukrainian officials claimed responsibility for an ambush by Tuareg militants on a military convoy of Malian defense forces and Russian military contractors, killing dozens of people. After the attack, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Service (HUR) called it a “successful military operation” by the agency.
However, comments by Ukrainian officials on the attack drew widespread condemnation from Mali’s West African neighbors, with many countries denouncing what they saw as an act of support for terrorism. Ukraine’s 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 Kyiv’s involvement.
African Media
Mali, along with neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, has been plagued by a jihadist insurgency for more than a decade. The three countries recently united to form the so-called Alliance for the Sahel to fight terrorism. The group counts Russia as 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 operations on the continent are its “private matter” and do not represent the Russian government.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said last week that while Kiev “cannot defeat Russia on the battlefield,” it has decided to open a “second front” in Africa to provide assistance to terrorist groups in countries Moscow considers allies. Fierce attack Kiev accused Ukraine of turning itself into a “terrorist gang” and warned that “the spread of Ukrainian terrorism around the world will get worse.”
（RT.com）
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