Departures
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Russian Africa Corps mercenaries have assumed control of Mali's aerial drone campaign, deploying Russian-made loitering munitions that have sharply increased civilian casualties in the country's north.
BAMAKO - Russian mercenaries from Africa Corps have taken operational control of the Malian ruling junta's aerial campaign, deploying Russian-made loitering munitions in attacks that have substantially increased civilian casualties across northern Mali.
Data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) project revealed that Africa Corps and the Malian military junta killed 89 civilians across 49 airstrikes between April and August. The fatality toll represents more than double the recorded figure from the corresponding period in 2025.
According to findings by open-source investigative collective Bellingcat, the aerial assaults frequently hit civilian vehicles and commercial sites. Video recordings of these operations are regularly broadcast on Mali's state television, which frames the strikes as successful actions against terrorists.
An independent investigation by The Sentry titled "Who Is Responsible for Mali's Air War?" determined that command authority over several drone strikes traces directly to Russian officers rather than Malian commanders. Satellite imagery and flight footage reviewed by Bellingcat and Jeune Afrique corroborated the finding.
"While Bamako describes a sovereign counterterrorism campaign, targets are in fact approved by a foreign power," The Sentry researchers wrote.
Investigators pointed out that drone operators appear to utilize a "guilt by location" targeting profile based on geographical position, activity, and personal appearance. The tactic underscores broader shifts in drone warfare across Africa, where uncrewed aviation increasingly reshapes regional security dynamics.
"What we have seen is a huge expansion in the way the Malian authorities define who is considered a legitimate target," said Yvan Guichaoua, senior researcher at the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies.
A verified incident from the Amasrakad community demonstrated the humanitarian impact of the campaign. While official junta broadcasts claimed the strike neutralized militants, a witness told investigators that the attack killed 13 civilians, including children, who had taken refuge in a tent following an initial hit on a nearby truck.
Visual evidence published on social media platforms confirms Africa Corps is utilizing Russian-manufactured kamikaze systems modeled after Iranian Shahed-136 platforms. In July, debris matching Shahed-style systems was documented in Inafarak, alongside appearances of the Russian Garpiya-A1 long-range drone.
France 24 Observers also verified wreckage recovered by the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) in the Timbuktu area as a Russian-made Lancet loitering munition. Vincent Tourret, a researcher at the French Institute of International Relations, noted that the Lancet was deployed against unarmed FLA vehicles.
The adoption of expendable loitering munitions contrasts with Mali's previous reliance on platforms produced by Turkish manufacturer Baykar. Analysts noted that acquiring cost-effective strike drones mirrors wider patterns seen in military drone procurement in Africa.
Tungsten Strategies drone expert Léo Jarry stated that low-cost kamikaze platforms grant operators extended range beyond that of the Bayraktar TB2. However, the systems cannot verify targets mid-flight, making terminal impact less accurate and raising collateral hazards.
"In Mali, where armed groups are highly mobile and frequently operate among civilian populations, any gap between target identification and impact creates a risk of striking the wrong target," Jarry said.
Human Rights Watch reported that Africa Corps escalated attacks on northern civilians after July, striking health facilities and markets in retaliation for high-profile operations by insurgent groups.
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Written by
Liu PurnomoLiu Purnomo is the founder of Drone Indonesia, a certified drone instructor, and the author of two reference books, DRONE and The Remote Pilot. His work centers on unmanned aviation standards and airspace safety. He also works as a GIS and remote sensing analyst and teaches the subject, and his background as a software engineer helps him turn spatial data workflows into tools people can actually use.
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