Stop Russian Influence

1/10 How #Wagner’s crushing defeat in #Mali could shape the future of #Russia’s presence in #Africa👇 This weekend, Wagner mercenaries and Malian soldiers were ambushed by #Azawad soldiers in the northern Mali, near the Algerian border. Around 80 Russian mercenaries were killed.

🇷🇺🌍 Russia–Africa: Three Years of Promises, What Has Moscow Delivered? Three years after the 2023 Saint Petersburg summit, Russia's African partnerships have expanded, but many of Moscow's promises remain unfulfilled. 📉 Trade: The $40 billion target announced in 2019 remains unmet. Bilateral trade reached approximately $28 billion in 2025. ⚔️ Security: Moscow pledged to strengthen military cooperation and help African states combat terrorism. Yet across the Sahel, particularly in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, jihadist groups continue to operate, expand their reach and inflict heavy losses on national forces and civilians. 🇲🇱 Mali: Despite the presence of Russia's Africa Corps, the country has experienced major attacks, territorial losses and persistent insecurity. The April 2026 offensive and the September attack on Dioura illustrate the limits of Russia's security partnership. 💰 Investment: Numerous mining, energy and infrastructure projects have been announced, but implementation remains uneven and difficult to measure. Moscow has strengthened its political and military footprint in Africa. However, three years after Saint Petersburg, the gap between its strategic ambitions and tangible results remains significant. Russia's influence is growing. Security across the Sahel is not. #RussiaAfrica #AfricaCorps #Sahel #Mali #RussianInfluence

🇲🇱A second similar incident in eight days. Under the guise of counter-terrorism, operations by the FAMa and the Africa Corps are once again striking the livelihoods of civilian populations. 🐂🐑Livestock is not a military target; the survival of entire communities is at stake. #Mali #AfricaCorps #RussiaInAfrica #FAMA @RFIAfrique

🇷🇺Russian drone strikes in 🇺🇦Ukraine: civilians pay the price. Since May 2026, Russian drones have struck 🏠homes, 🚉railway stations, 🏬shopping centres and civilian transport across Ukraine. From Dnipro to Kryvyi Rih, these attacks have killed and injured civilians, including children. Five major incidents, their 🗺️locations, dates and reported casualties — mapped to document the human cost of Russia’s drone campaign. #Ukraine #UkraineWar #Civilians #DroneAttack #WarCrimes

🇺🇦🇷🇺 Ukraine: A Russian strike kills at least 14 people in Dnipro. On October 29, a Russian drone struck a platform at the Dnipro 🚉railway station while passenger trains were present. According to figures released by Ukrainian authorities, at least 14 people were killed and 14 others injured. Russian strikes continue to 🎯target infrastructure used by civilians, claiming further human lives. #Ukraine #Russia #RussianWar #Dnipro #Dronestrike

🇷🇺🌍 Russia-Africa Summit: answers are expected. Russia is recruiting Africans under false promises of employment, only to send them to fight in 🇺🇦Ukraine. @amnesty International is calling on African leaders to challenge the Kremlin regarding these practices, which may amount to human trafficking. This summit must serve as an opportunity to demand 🔍investigations, accountability, and guarantees to protect African nationals. Moscow touts a "win-win" partnership. The exploitation of African citizens to fuel its 🪖war in Ukraine puts that promise to the test. #RussiaAfrica #HumanTrafficking #UkraineWar #Africa #RussianInfluence

📢 Stop Wagner is becoming Stop Russian Influence. Wagner is no longer at the heart of Russia’s operations in Africa. The "Africa Corps" has taken over, operating under the authority of the Russian Ministry of Defence, while Moscow’s influence continues to expand. To better track these developments, we are changing our name and visual identity. Our goal remains the same: 📄to document Russian activities, 🔍decode the Kremlin’s influence strategies, and ℹ️provide information on their consequences. A new name, a new logo—but the same commitment to rigorous reporting and analysis. Welcome to Stop Russian Influence. #Russia #AfricaCorps #Wagner #Disinformation #RussianInfluence

🇲🇱 Mali: 13 civilians, including 6 children, killed in a drone strike. According to @RFI , a drone strike by the Malian army killed 13 civilians in Laghlaf, near Lerneb, in the Timbuktu region, during the night of October 25–26. Two Tuareg families were struck while in their tents. The FAMa (Malian Armed Forces) have issued no statement regarding the strike or its death toll. The Africa Corps has also remained silent. Yet, when it comes to claiming military successes, official communication is readily forthcoming. When civilians are killed, however, silence prevails. This selective approach to communication leaves critical questions—concerning accountability and the protection of the population—unanswered. Source: RFI #Mali #FAMa #AfricaCorps #Sahel #DroneStrike

🇷🇺🌍 **Russia: Recruitment in Africa Intensifies** Moscow is expanding its recruitment networks to bolster its troop numbers for the war against 🇺🇦Ukraine. 📊 According to Bloomberg, 699 🇧🇮Burundians and 530 🇿🇼Zimbabweans signed contracts with the 🇷🇺Russian military between January and September 2026—a sharp increase compared to the 30 and 65 individuals, respectively, who did so throughout the entirety of 2025. In 🇲🇬Madagascar, *Le Monde* has documented the recruitment of men who were sent to the front lines after being promised civilian jobs, as well as the recruitment of young women lured to Alabuga—a site 🏭where attack drones are manufactured. Investigations by *The Insider* reveal recurring tactics: promises of civilian employment, high wages, and the prospect of obtaining Russian citizenship. According to Ukrainian authorities, 5,400 nationals from 43 African countries had joined the 🪖Russian military as of October 1, 2026. **From the Ukrainian front lines to drone factories, Moscow is mobilizing African manpower to support its war effort.** @the_ins_ru #RussiaInAfrica #AlabugaStart #WarInUkraine #Kremlin

In 🇲🇱Mali, an investigation by *Jeune Afrique* sheds light on who is responsible for deadly drone strikes—including those that occur when 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦children and civilians are present. It documents the circumstances under which these attacks are carried out and examines the accountability of the actors involved. 🌍 The video can be translated directly on YouTube: Settings ⚙️ → Subtitles → Auto-translate → select your preferred language.

Africa Corps under pressure: the 🌴Sahel, April–October 2026 Russia promised security to the Sahel’s military regimes. The facts tell a different story. 🇲🇱 Mali: On 25 April, coordinated 🥷JNIM and FLA attacks struck several locations, including Bamako and Kati. Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed and Kidal fell to the FLA. On 10 September, JNIM overran Dioura, reportedly killing over 100 Malian soldiers and five Africa Corps personnel. Russian-backed forces returned to Kidal in October after the FLA withdrew—but holding it remains the real test. 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso: JNIM continues to inflict heavy losses. At least 34 civilians were reportedly executed in Titao in February; around 90 soldiers were reportedly killed in a September ambush at Koubel-Alpha. 🇳🇪 Niger: More than 50 security personnel were reportedly killed in two September attacks. Even Niamey’s military infrastructure has been targeted. Africa Corps has not stopped the insurgency. The verdict: Russia’s presence has not delivered security. The 🇺🇸US State Department advises Americans NOT TO TRAVEL to all three AES countries. #AES #Sahel #Mali #BurkinaFaso #Niger #JNIM

🇲🇱Mali’s counterterrorism strategy is failing the people it claims to protect. Caught between ⚔️🥷🏼JNIM attacks and abuses attributed to Malian forces and their 🇷🇺Russian allies, civilians are paying the price of a security strategy that fuels violence instead of restoring security. @hrw #Mali #JNIM #AfricaCorps #RussiaInAfrica #HumanRights #Sahel #WarCrimes

The Rybar Affair: 🇷🇺Moscow Carries Out Its Threats, Arresting Two Foreign Nationals On October 9, 2026, 🇲🇪Montenegro expelled Mikhail Zvinchuk—founder of Rybar (a Russian propaganda outlet serving the "Africa Corps")—along with four other Russian nationals. Suspecting "hybrid" activities, authorities seized electronic equipment. Moscow denounced the move as a violation of its citizens' rights. In response, Dmitry Medvedev called for "replenishing the exchange pool" by arresting Western nationals, with the aim of securing the release of Russians held abroad . A few days later, Russian authorities arrested 🇯🇵Japanese journalist Yuki Imai on charges of espionage, followed by the arrest of a 🇸🇪Swedish national, Freddy Lindholm, who was suspected of preparing acts of sabotage on behalf of 🇺🇦Ukraine. Moscow has turned its threats into a tool for retaliation: foreign nationals have become diplomatic hostages, used to exert pressure on Western governments and extract concessions. #Russia #Rybar #Kremlin #HybridWarfare #RussiaAfrica #AfricaCorps

🇷🇺Russia Tightens Its Grip on the 🌴Sahel via the Skies: An Opaque Logistics Network Between January 2025 and July 2026, pro-Russian forces conducted ✈️✈️ 75 flights to Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, according to ADS-B tracking data analysed by @C4ADS. 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso accounts for the bulk of the traffic, followed by Mali, while activity in Niger remains marginal. These rotations — carried out primarily by Soviet-era Antonov An-124 and Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft — sustain Africa Corps, the successor to the Wagner Group, now operating under direct Russian military command. This aerial shuttle is more than logistical support. It forms the backbone of a grip that has consolidated since the region’s military coups. In exchange for security guarantees against groups such as JNIM and ISGS, 🇷🇺 Moscow has secured mining concessions, military bases and direct political influence, while remaining largely shielded from accountability. Civilians have paid the price through extrajudicial killings, violence and a continued deterioration of security, even as these forces have proven largely ineffective against armed groups. Operators combine state entities — notably Flight Unit 224, the Special Flight Squadron and EMERCOM — with private companies, some already under sanctions (Aviacon Zitotrans, Rubystar, Sapsan). This hybrid model obscures attribution and preserves plausible deniability. State aircraft typically transit through Russian-controlled bases in Khmeimim (Syria) and Al-Khadim 🇱🇾(Libya), while private operators favour commercial hubs in Abu Dhabi, Algeria or Turkey. These stopovers act as potential chokepoints: disrupting access to them would significantly complicate resupply. Traffic spikes have coincided with high-level visits (including Ibrahim Traoré’s trip to Moscow in May 2025) and ground offensives. Burkina Faso functions as the main regional hub. The transition from Wagner to Africa Corps has changed little on the ground: the same bases, routes and model of resource extraction and predation persist. The Central Sahel remains a strategic node for Russian influence in Africa, underpinned by a discreet, redundant and still difficult-to-disrupt air logistics network. #AfricaCorps #Wagner #RussianInfluence #Mali #BurkinaFaso #Niger #RussiaAfrica

🇷🇺 Russia and the Africa Corps: The Russian offensive in Africa accelerates this autumn 🇲🇱 In Mali, the Africa Corps remains engaged on the military front, amidst attacks by the JNIM and ongoing airstrikes. In Kidal, bombardments—which exposed the civilian population to grave risks—preceded the withdrawal of the FLA and the entry of the FAMa (Malian Armed Forces) and the Africa Corps into a city retaken without any significant ground combat. While this recapture is being touted as a success, it represents neither a decisive military victory nor a fundamental shift in the balance of power. 💸💲 Concurrently, Moscow is strengthening its economic ties with Bamako, most notably through a 30-billion CFA franc (approximately $51.3 million) contract with KAMAZ–SMTL-SA. However, the Russian offensive extends well beyond the Sahel: new "Russian Houses" are being established, academic networks are expanding in 🇺🇬 Uganda, and the Orthodox Church is growing its presence in 🇲🇬 Madagascar. At the UN, Moscow champions African sovereignty while simultaneously extending its own influence and propping up ruling juntas. A clear paradox exists between rhetoric and reality: Moscow advocates for state sovereignty while contributing to the political and security-related dependency of certain regimes. The expansion of Russian influence is, therefore, real across several fronts—yet it should not obscure the challenges facing its military apparatus in Mali. Despite the retaking of Kidal, the Africa Corps has failed to alter the trajectory of the conflict; isolated territorial gains do not compensate for losses or the persistent state of insecurity. 🇷🇺 #RussiaInAfrica #AfricaCorps #Mali #Kidal #Sahel

Africa Corps just lost a key piece of its propaganda machine. 🎯 Mikhail Zvinchuk, founder of the pro-Kremlin channel Rybar, and several members of his team have been detained in Montenegro 🇲🇪. 🚨 Rybar is not an independent outlet. It is a Defense Ministry-linked propaganda network, and its Africa branch has been pushing the official line on Africa Corps operations in the Sahel: inflated victories 📉, minimized losses 🤫 , and systematic denials of setbacks. ❌ Dmitry Medvedev reacted by claiming a “hunt” has been declared on all Russians in Europe 🐺, and by suggesting Moscow replenish its prisoner-exchange pool with European and American nationals to get “our people” out. Montenegro’s prime minister frames the operation as a response to hybrid influence, not a tourist incident. The account that manufactured the image of success is no longer in circulation 📴. #AfricaCorps #Rybar #Montenegro #Russia #Sahel #Propaganda #Zvinchuk #Medvedev #Mali #Disinformation

🇲🇱🇷🇺 Kidal: in Mali… or in Russia? In Kidal, Africa Corps soldiers are being presented as the victors. 🇷🇺 Images released by the Russian outlet African Initiative put them at the center of the story: they pose on top of Kidal fort, the Russian flag in the foreground, with no Malian soldiers beside them. 📸 The FLA described its departure as a controlled strategic withdrawal, with no direct ground fighting. By circulating these propaganda images, Russia claims the credit and places Africa Corps at the heart of its narrative. Despite the images, Africa Corps remains in difficulty in Mali: a withdrawal from Kidal in April, repeated ambushes (several killed at Dioura and near Niono in September), and no lasting control of the north. Kidal is in Mali. #Mali #Kidal #AfricaCorps #Russia #RussianInfluence

🇲🇱💥Kidal evacuated: a new test for Africa Corps ⚠️ Kidal is currently under air strikes conducted by Bamako’s forces with direct support from their Russian partners in the Africa Corps. 🚀🎮These strikes have reportedly hit civilian and public infrastructure. Their intensity appears disproportionate, given that no ground combat is currently taking place within the city. According to several sources, a convoy of over 100 vehicles—including around thirty armored vehicles—has been moving along the Anéfis-Kidal axis for several days. It is heading toward Kidal, just as the FLA has announced its strategic withdrawal from the city in a statement. The FLA’s withdrawal averts a ground confrontation in Kidal for the time being. It remains to be seen whether the entry of Bamako’s forces and their Russian partners will bring a respite for the civilian population. ⚔️ In April 2026, the Africa Corps had negotiated its withdrawal from Kidal with the FLA. A few months later, the Russians are once again accompanying Bamako’s advance on the city. This situation highlights the Africa Corps' ability to stick with the FAMa to the end when the balance of power shifts. ⚠️The FLA is withdrawing from Kidal, but the battle for Kidal is far from over. ⚠️ #Kidal #Mali #FLA #Azawad #AfricaCorps #FAMa #JNIM #Sahel #NorthernMali #MaliConflict

🇲🇱 September Under Pressure: Russia’s Africa Corps in Mali Nine attacks attributed to JNIM were recorded in Mali in September 2026. ⚔️ In Dioura, Sévaré and Niono, Malian forces (FAMa) and Russian Africa Corps personnel were targeted, with reported human and material losses. ⛽ Repeated attacks on fuel convoys are putting Bamako under growing pressure, while the Africa Corps is reportedly calling for additional fuel supplies. A month of mounting pressure on Russia’s Africa Corps.🇲🇱 #Mali #JNIM #AfricaCorps #Sahel