Mali: Africa Corps airstrikes linked to russian control result in civilian deaths

Our investigation reveals that Africa Corps, an entity under the direct command of the Russian government, conducted aerial bombardments in central Mali on June 15, 2026. These strikes tragically claimed the lives of eight civilians, including three children, in what appears to be an unlawful attack.

On that fateful morning, an aircraft, identified by two Malian military sources as a Sukhoi Su-24, deployed at least two munitions over the village of Kyrnia in the Mopti region. The initial munition struck outside the village chief’s residence, resulting in the deaths of two of his children, his wife, and another child, while also injuring one woman. A second munition then hit a small livestock market approximately twenty meters away, killing four men and wounding two others. Crucially, none of the victims were identified as combatants from Islamist armed groups.

« An Africa Corps aircraft, operating under Russian government control, has caused civilian fatalities in a Malian village, demonstrating a clear disregard for the laws of war, » stated Ilaria Allegrozzi, our senior Sahel researcher. « By granting Russian authorities a free hand, the Malian government must recognize its own accountability for the atrocities perpetrated by its allied forces. »

Between June 24 and July 14, our team conducted 19 telephone interviews, speaking with six direct witnesses, members of civil society, community leaders, Malian military contacts, and local journalists. We also meticulously analyzed satellite imagery of the strike locations, a video of the strikes released online by Africa Corps, and photographs posted on social media by an Islamist armed group. On July 23, we sent a letter detailing our findings and questions to the Russian Minister of Defense, but have not yet received a response.

On June 23, Africa Corps announced on its official Facebook and X accounts that it had successfully carried out an airstrike on June 15 against a « gathering place for terrorist groups » in the Mopti region, claiming to have eliminated several field commanders. They also published a video showing the strikes and their aftermath. Our analysis successfully geolocated the two strikes visible in the video to Kyrnia.

The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM or Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, JNIM), an Al-Qaïda-affiliated organization, has maintained control over Kyrnia for the past six years. Witnesses reported that at least 100 GSIM fighters, including a high-ranking commander, were present in the village at the time of the strikes. However, these fighters were primarily congregated at the village mosque and in front of a shop near a small livestock market. Neither the mosque nor the shop was hit, but the livestock market sustained a direct impact. GSIM occasionally uses the shop, owned by the village chief, a wealthy merchant, for storing weapons, ammunition, fuel, and other supplies. A pickup truck, typical of those used by GSIM, was parked outside the chief’s house.

Since 2012, successive Malian governments have been engaged in conflict with Islamist armed groups. Following military coups in 2020 and 2021, the junta leader, General Assimi Goïta, expelled French and United Nations forces, subsequently strengthening ties with Russia. Since 2021, the Malian junta has relied on assistance from the Russian-linked Wagner Group for security operations. This mercenary group was rebranded as Africa Corps after the death of Wagner Group founder, Evgueni Prigojine, in 2023, and subsequently came under Moscow’s direct control.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged in June that Russian military personnel were collaborating with Malian armed forces to establish full control over Malian territory, following GSIM attacks across the country on April 25. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that its forces were utilizing Su-24 aircraft to target GSIM combatants.

Media reports and satellite imagery indicate that Africa Corps has been deploying Su-24 aircraft in Mali since at least April 2025 to support the Malian army. There are no public records detailing the transfer of Su-24s to Malian authorities. These aircraft are capable of carrying a diverse range of aerial munitions, including guided weapons, which align with the damage observed from the munitions that struck Kyrnia.

Witnesses recounted seeing a fighter jet flying low over Kyrnia, emitting a deafening roar. « It was a fighter jet, incredibly fast… it was flying low… from west to east, » a 35-year-old merchant described. « I saw it drop a bomb… like a fireball… and I ran to take cover under a tree. »

A 37-year-old cattle herder recalled being at the livestock market when he heard a powerful rumble, followed by an explosion. He saw thick black smoke rising from the dwellings near the chief’s house, then heard a second explosion. « The market was in chaos, » he stated, « stalls were swept away for several meters, oxen and sheep were dismembered. » He assisted other residents in clearing debris from the collapsed chief’s house, while GSIM fighters coordinated rescue efforts. « The chief’s second wife was dead, and she had lost… her arms, » he explained. « Then [we found] the [bodies of the] two children… and another boy who had been thrown onto the roof by the explosion. »

Our analysis of the Africa Corps video and satellite imagery from June 25 reveals two craters in the southern part of Kyrnia, each approximately 12 meters wide, indicating the deployment of two large aerial munitions. Around nine market stalls, visible in satellite images from February 7, appear to have been destroyed by the second strike. The strike outside the chief’s residence landed between structures, causing at least one building to collapse.

A 48-year-old camel herder recounted being « thrown [to the ground] by the blast of the first explosion » before realizing he was « covered in sand and debris.… [P]eople in front of me were injured, some had broken arms. »

A 40-year-old man reported identifying « the bodies of three merchants » who were hit « while traveling on a tricycle loaded with bags of dates » through the livestock market.

The second strike injured three men, one of whom tragically succumbed to his wounds the following day. A witness explained that the man had been hit by bomb fragments and that « [h]is arms had been shredded. »

Our team reviewed a list containing the names of the eight victims, which included three children aged between 1 and 10 years, a 24-year-old woman, and four men aged 30 to 40 years.

Witnesses reported that on June 14, a drone, likely operated by Malian armed forces or Africa Corps, flew over Kyrnia, suggesting the village was under surveillance. « I saw a drone in the sky the day before, between 4 and 5 p.m., » described the camel herder. « It circled several times above the village before leaving. »

Witnesses confirmed that approximately one hundred GSIM fighters were present in the village at the time of the strikes, with most located at the mosque, about 150 meters from the impact sites. A 40-year-old man indicated that some GSIM fighters at the mosque were on motorcycles. « They had automatic weapons and were wearing military uniforms or boubous, their faces covered with turbans, » he explained. The merchant also stated that numerous GSIM fighters, including one of its senior commanders, were inside or outside the village chief’s shop, which was adjacent to the livestock market hit by the second munition.

The airstrikes occurred on a market day, when Kyrnia was bustling with merchants, shoppers, and villagers. Residents indicated that since GSIM took control of the area, Kyrnia has become a significant commercial hub with a large livestock market.

Locals affirmed that GSIM purchased supplies, including fuel and food, from Kyrnia’s market. They speculated that the airstrikes might have targeted the village chief’s residence because his pickup truck, similar to those used by GSIM, was parked outside. They also explained that three of the chief’s sons were GSIM fighters, but they were not in Kyrnia at the time of the attack.

The laws of war, which govern the armed conflict in Mali, strictly prohibit attacks that target civilians or civilian objects, fail to distinguish between civilians and combatants, or are likely to cause disproportionate harm to civilians or civilian objects compared to any anticipated military advantage.

Belligerent parties conducting attacks are obligated to take all feasible precautions to minimize civilian casualties. Parties should refrain from deploying forces in densely populated areas. The strikes in Kyrnia did not appear to target specific military objectives and would therefore constitute unlawful indiscriminate attacks. The fact that the village chief engaged in business with GSIM does not render him a legitimate target for attack. Our investigation found no information indicating that the chief’s house was being used to store weapons or ammunition.

The Malian government bears the responsibility to thoroughly investigate this incident and hold those accountable for violations of the laws of war, including members of Africa Corps.

« The Malian government cannot evade responsibility by hiding behind the laws of war violations committed by its Russian allies, » concluded Ilaria Allegrozzi. « The junta must impartially investigate all potential war crimes perpetrated on its territory, including the Kyrnia airstrikes, or face being considered complicit in these abuses. »