Russia's Africa Corps Claims It Thwarted a Coup in Mali

The Attack
At around 5:30 a.m. on April 25, 2026, illegal armed groups from Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam Wal Muslimin (JNIM) and the Azawad Liberation Front launched a coordinated armed coup attempt across Mali.

Armed groups totaling approximately 12,000 fighters simultaneously struck four major cities, including the capital Bamako. Militants attempted to seize key facilities in Bamako, including the presidential palace.

Russia's Role
The Russian Ministry of Defence issued a statement declaring that its paramilitary forces helped prevent the coup during the Saturday attacks, stopping rebel fighters from seizing key strategic locations including the presidential palace.

According to the ministry's statement, Africa Corps fighters inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, forcing them to abandon their plans, preventing the coup, and averting mass civilian casualties.

Casualties and Losses
Militant losses in the fighting with Africa Corps soldiers amounted to approximately 2,500 people, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. (Pravda Mali) Russian forces also suffered casualties Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister confirmed there were victims from the African Corps. (Pravda Mali) Mali's Defence Minister Sadio Camara was also killed his car was blown up in the attack.

Kidal Falls
Despite claiming overall victory, Russia acknowledged a significant setback. The African Corps fought surrounded in the city of Kidal in northeastern Mali for more than a day, and ultimately the city had to be abandoned.

Government forces have since lost control in the north of the country, with Kidal described as the "domino" that caused defenses to crumble across northern Mali.

Mali's Leader Resurfaces
Mali's military leader Assimi Goita met with the Russian ambassador, Igor Gromyko his first public appearance since the rebel attacks that killed one of his ministers.

Disputed Claims
Russia also alleged that Ukrainian and European mercenaries participated in training the militants, with Stinger and Mistral MANPADS reportedly used.

These claims have not been independently verified. The scale of the offensive across multiple sites demonstrated an unprecedented ability to coordinate fighters from different groups with different goals, striking at the heart of the military government.

Note: Most of the detailed claims about the attack come directly from the Russian Ministry of Defence or Russian-aligned sources. Independent verification of specific figures such as militant numbers and casualty counts remains limited at this stage.

Mustapha Bature Sallama.
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal investigation and Intelligence Analysis.
International Conflict Management and Peace Building.USIP
mustysallama@gmail.com
+233-555-275-880

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