CNN revealed details of Ukrainian special operations against Russia in Africa

The military are training partners to work with drones and helping strike Russian targets.

Ukrainian combat drone operators have expanded their operations far beyond the front lines in Ukraine. About 15 specialists from the Main Intelligence Directorate are currently in the desert in northern Mali and are helping local rebels fight against Russian forces. CNN reports this, citing conversations with Ukrainian military personnel and officers.

According to a source in Ukrainian intelligence, several Ukrainian specialists are also in Sudan. Earlier, troops from Chad, Niger, and Burkina Faso flew to Mali to learn how to operate drones from Ukrainian instructors.

The Ukrainian group in Mali is cooperating with the separatist group Azawad Liberation Front, which is predominantly Tuareg rebels. The Ukrainians themselves do not take part in frontline combat, but they train fighters, help plan operations, and remotely coordinate strikes.

"The signal from their drone comes to me over the Internet, and I immediately relay by radio what to do and where to fly," said CNN one of the Ukrainian operators in Mali.

"They go on a mission, then return to me, and we analyze every detail of their actions. I myself do not go to the front lines. This is a direct order from my commanders," he added.

Russia is trying to establish itself as an influential player in the Sahel—a region rich in minerals and prone to coups. It fills a security vacuum created after the withdrawal of French forces.

Initially, these operations were conducted by the private military company Wagner of Yevgeny Prigozhin. After his death in a coup in 2023, the remnants of the group merged with the regular Russian army, forming the African Corps.

This summer, the organization Human Rights Watch released reports of civilian killings by Russian forces in Mali. It also noted that in spring, amid a surge of violence, civilians were attacked by "all sides of the conflict." Ukraine was not mentioned in that report.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated to journalists last month that the "African Corps" "acts strictly within the law" and "in response to official requests from legitimate governments of African states."

A source in the GUR explained that the purpose of foreign missions is to pressure Russia and undermine trust in it as an ally.

"We are turning our drone experience into an instrument of foreign policy," said the CNN interlocutor.

According to him, this mission is also beneficial for the Ukrainians themselves, as it allows them to test equipment and skills in a completely different environment.

"Dust and heat cause equipment to fail faster. Filters, cooling, electronics protection, batteries: everything works differently and requires serious adaptation," he noted.

He added that the fighting in Mali is radically different from the war in Ukraine: "in our case, it is high intensity, massive strikes, constant pressure. Here it is more of a maneuver war on large territories, ambushes, route control, working in small groups and knowledge of the terrain".

According to him, the sides are learning from each other: "We teach them tactics, and they teach us to survive and fight".

The drone operator told CNN that Ukrainians also helped rebels seize the strategic town of Kidal in northern Mali. Tuareg rebels, together with militants linked to al-Qaeda, simultaneously attacked Russian forces and forced them to retreat.

The Russian Defense Ministry accused Kyiv of involvement in this offensive. The ministry claimed that the rebels were trained by "Ukrainian and European mercenary instructors."

ACLED West Africa analyst Heny NsaiBiA named the loss of Kidal a serious setback for the Malian regime and the Russian forces it supports.

"It was a serious failure—they lost Kidal and were forced to negotiate a safe corridor for retreat," he said.

According to the analyst, without the help of the "African Corps" the situation for the Malian regime could have been much worse.

The first accusations of Ukraine aiding Tuareg rebels appeared as far back as July 2024. Then rebels staged an ambush near Tinzaouten city on the border with Algeria and killed dozens of Wagner and Malian troops.

GUR spokesperson Andriy Yusov said at the time that the rebels received "the necessary information" to fight the Russians.

Later, Ukraine denied substantial cooperation with the rebels. However, Yusov's words provoked a sharp reaction from the juntas of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, who filed an official complaint to the UN Security Council, accusing Kyiv of sponsoring terrorism.

Ukrainians in Mali emphasize that their partnership with the Tuareg is not about their beliefs but practical necessity.

"Culture and religion are different, but when you are attacked by the same idiots, ideological differences fall to the background," said a GUR interlocutor.

One of the drone operators described part of the rebels as "radical." He said they can shoot aimlessly into the air and behave in a "destructive" manner.

"Sometimes it is emotionally hard to ignore some things. It happened that we are on one side of the barricade... if these guys eventually defeat the Russians, we will gladly train them," he said.

The operator is convinced that any operation that weakens the Russians brings Ukraine closer to victory.

"This puts pressure on them. All this has both a psychological and a real effect."

When Iran began striking US allies in the Middle East this spring, Ukraine sent groups of military experts to at least five countries in the region. A few weeks later they trained local forces to shoot down Iranian Shahed drones that Russia has been using to attack Ukraine for years.

One Ukrainian serviceman dispatched to the United Arab Emirates said to CNN that Ukrainians worked in mixed teams alongside local troops. They rode with them and repeated every move.

In exchange for sharing this experience, Kyiv secured a number of security cooperation agreements and promises to supply ammunition.

Ukrainian operators of maritime drones also operate in Libya, where since 2025 they have been based in the northwest of the country. From there they attack the "shadow fleet" of tankers that allows Russia to sell oil despite international sanctions.

It was from there that in spring one of the Ukrainian sea drones carrying explosives fled. Greek fishermen found it near the western island of Lefkada.

Kyrilo Budanov, the former head of the GUR, stated as early as 2023 that Ukraine's goal is to "destroy Russians anywhere in the world until Ukraine's victory is complete."

In July 2024, Tuareg rebels in northern Mali staged an ambush on a Malian military column and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner PMC and destroyed it. After that, the GUR stated that the rebels had received the necessary information from Ukraine.

Malian authorities accused Kyiv of supporting the Tuareg and severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine.

Kyiv denied supplying weapons and drones to Malian rebels, calling such accusations disinformation. Ukraine continued to operate in Africa, while Russia meanwhile was increasing its military and political presence there. In an article titled Why Russia Goes to Africa and Why It Is Bad for Ukraine, ZN.UA international politics editor Volodymyr Kravchenko discusses how Moscow expands its influence in Africa.