The war between Ukraine and Russia is increasingly extending beyond the battlefields of eastern Europe, with Ukrainian personnel reportedly operating in parts of Africa where Russian forces have built a growing military presence.
A recent CNN investigation reported that around 15 Ukrainian specialists had been deployed to Mali to assist local rebel forces fighting Russian troops, highlighting Kyiv’s efforts to challenge Moscow well beyond the front lines in Ukraine.
The Ukrainians are understood to be providing expertise in drone warfare, reconnaissance and other specialised military operations — capabilities developed during more than four years of fighting against Russia.
Russia, meanwhile, has expanded its military footprint across Africa through the Africa Corps, a force controlled by the Russian Defence Ministry that has progressively replaced the Wagner Group in countries including Mali.
Africa Corps has thousands of personnel in Mali and works alongside the country’s military-led government against armed groups operating across the Sahel.
Ukrainian presence reported in Mali
Sally Bakari, a historian and researcher at the Centre for Studies and Research in the Sahel, told Erem News that Ukrainian personnel had been observed alongside rebel forces in Mali in recent months.
Bakari said Malian military sources had repeatedly reported the presence of Ukrainian fighters and claimed some had previously been detained following Malian military operations.
Former French ambassador to Mali Nicolas Normand said available reporting suggested Ukrainian specialists had provided limited assistance to Azawad rebel forces fighting Russian-backed troops.
Normand said the Ukrainian role appeared focused primarily on technical advice involving drones and was unlikely to have had a decisive effect on the broader conflict.
He contrasted that presence with Russia’s much larger deployment. Estimates of the Russian Africa Corps contingent in Mali vary, but recent reporting has put its strength at roughly 2,000 to 2,500 personnel.
Drone expertise exported abroad
Geopolitical analyst Ulrich Bouna said the strongest evidence of Ukrainian involvement could be found in Libya and Sudan, while the extent of Kyiv’s activities in Mali had previously been less clear.
CNN, however, reported that about 15 Ukrainian specialists were working with rebel forces in Mali.
The network also cited a Ukrainian defence intelligence source as saying Ukrainian specialists were operating in Sudan and that personnel from Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso had previously travelled to Mali to receive drone training from Ukrainian forces.
The reported operations reflect one of Ukraine’s most valuable military advantages: extensive battlefield experience using relatively inexpensive drones for surveillance, targeting and precision attacks.
Similar tactics have become central to the war in Ukraine and could give Kyiv a relatively low-cost way of supporting forces confronting Russian personnel elsewhere.
Challenging Russia beyond Ukraine
Ukraine’s wider objective appears to be to impose costs on Moscow wherever Russian military forces operate.
Kyiv also has a diplomatic incentive to deepen relationships across Africa, where Russia has spent years expanding security and political ties.
Moscow has established military partnerships across the continent while offering training, weapons and security assistance to governments facing insurgencies or political instability.
In Mali, Africa Corps took over much of Wagner’s role after the mercenary organisation announced its withdrawal in June 2025. Unlike Wagner, Africa Corps operates more directly under Russia’s Defence Ministry and military intelligence structure.
The Russian force has continued to support Mali’s military authorities as the country confronts Tuareg separatists and armed groups including the Al Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin.
A wider proxy confrontation
The developments suggest that Africa is becoming another arena in the wider strategic confrontation between Moscow and Kyiv.
Russia possesses the far larger footprint, with established security partnerships, military personnel and logistical networks across several African states.
Ukraine’s presence remains far smaller and appears focused primarily on specialised training, intelligence and drone expertise rather than large conventional deployments.
But the reported operations illustrate how the Ukraine war is increasingly influencing conflicts far beyond Europe.
From Mali and Sudan to Libya, local wars and political struggles are becoming intertwined with the broader rivalry between Kyiv and Moscow, turning parts of Africa into secondary fronts in a conflict whose geographic reach continues to expand.
