Russia’s foreign ministry announced on Friday that efforts are underway to secure the release of two geologists employed by a Russian company who were kidnapped by an Al Qaeda-linked group in western Niger last month.
The militant group Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) released a video earlier this month, showing the two hostages, who stated they were abducted in the insurgency-affected Tillaberi region. The video did not specify when or where it was recorded, nor did it include any ransom demands.
In an email statement, the Russian foreign ministry identified one of the hostages as Oleg Gret, a Russian citizen, while the other, Yuri Yurov, is reportedly a Ukrainian citizen.
The ministry further revealed that four people were abducted in the incident on July 18, during which several Nigerien soldiers were killed. Russia has formally requested assistance from the Niger authorities and their Malian partners.
“We are determined to continue our efforts to secure the release of the hostages,” the ministry stated, emphasizing that Russia’s cooperation with Sahel states will persist despite the region’s security challenges.
Since a coup last year, Niger’s military government, similar to the regimes in Mali and Burkina Faso, has expelled Western forces and strengthened its military and business ties with Russia.
