A convoy of Russian Africa Corps and Malian troops was ambushed by Azawad separatist fighters in northern Mali on Friday, resulting in the deaths of several Russian personnel and the destruction of multiple military vehicles, according to local reports.
The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred in the Kidal region.
In a statement on Friday, the group claimed that dozens of Africa Corps members were killed in the clash and that 21 vehicles, including trucks, tankers, and armored cars, were destroyed.
“Around 15 bodies were left abandoned at the site of the fighting,” said Mohamed Maouloud Ramadan, a spokesman for the Azawad separatists.
“We recovered 12 trucks loaded with cereals, tankers full of diesel, one military pickup, and one armored vehicle from the 30-vehicle convoy,” Ramadan added.
Ramadan also reported that three FLA members were killed in the attack.
Videos shared by the FLA appeared to show trucks burning in the desert and armed fighters posing in front of them. The authenticity of the footage has not been independently verified.
FPV strikes on Russian Africa Corps mercenaries in Mali by Azawad separatists. Good piloting, too. https://t.co/vllDfEBY11
— Woofers (@NotWoofers) June 15, 2025
The Malian army confirmed the ambush in a statement, saying the convoy was on an operation against an armed group. It said 10 “enemy combatants” were killed but did not mention its own casualties.
Meanwhile, emerging reports claimed that a Russian Su-24 bomber, operated by Africa Corps, had crashed near Gao during the fighting.
The Malian army confirmed the report on Friday, stating that one of its combat aircraft, “returning from a mission in eastern Mali, made an emergency landing in the river near Gao.” According to the army, the aircraft sustained “extensive damage,” but both pilots were rescued and are receiving medical care.
Africa Corps, the group involved in the recent clash, is a unit under Russia’s Ministry of Defense. It took over from the Wagner Group and now operates openly in Mali with the government’s support.
Meanwhile, the FLA, composed mostly of Tuareg separatists, has long fought for independence in northern Mali. Although it signed a peace agreement in 2015, the deal has since collapsed. In 2023, Mali’s army, backed by Russian forces, retook Kidal, a historic stronghold and center of Tuareg separatist movements, reigniting tensions in the region.
