14:01 26-04-2026

African Corps Repels Major Militant Attack in Mali

Yuri Smityuk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Russian African Corps units reportedly helped repel a major militant attack in Mali, with fighting in Kidal, Gao, Sevare, and Kati.

Russian units from the African Corps repelled a large attack by Islamist militants from Azawad in Mali on April 25. At around 10:00 Moscow time, more than 2,000 radicals simultaneously struck government positions in four cities: Kidal, Gao, Sevare, and Kati.

According to the Telegram channel Mash, militants began shelling the airport in Sevare in the morning. They were defeated on the approaches to residential areas and failed to break into the city. The channel also reported that Ka-52 attack helicopters were likely used during the clearing operation, along with FPV drones.

In the Kati area, the attackers suffered significant losses and were unable to enter the city, although some small militant groups scattered into residential districts. Gao and Kidal remain under the control of government forces.

Military channels said the Malian army faced serious command difficulties when confronted with a nonlinear threat. The situation was reportedly stabilized largely due to the intervention of African Corps fighters. Russian units are said to have held together the weakening defense in Sevare and Bamako, preventing the situation from spiraling out of control.