15 specialists: CNN reports on Ukrainian drone help in Mali

A CNN investigation published in September reports that approximately 15 Ukrainian drone specialists are currently supporting Tuareg rebels in northern Mali. These specialists are reportedly providing training and operational planning to the Azawad Liberation Front, which is fighting the military government in Bamako and its Russian allies. The report indicates that this assistance includes remote support for drone missions. CNN has not confirmed whether Kyiv has officially acknowledged the deployment of these personnel.

The conflict in Mali has become a new front in the geopolitical rivalry between Russia and Ukraine. Since military coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali shifted away from Western partners and aligned with Moscow. Russia consolidated its presence in the region, initially through the Wagner Group, which was replaced by the Africa Corps in 2025. Ulf Laessing, head of the Syria and Iraq program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, told DW that the Africa Corps uses Syria and Libya as transit points for flights to support operations on the African continent.

Marta Oliynyk-D'omochko, coordinator of the African Studies Program at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, described the Ukrainian involvement as a strategic move. She stated that Kyiv aims to weaken Russia's global influence. "Ukraine's main interest is to weaken Russia's influence around the world," she told DW. She added that reducing Moscow's military footprint would also diminish the economic opportunities Russia gains from the region. Irina Filatova, a professor emeritus at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, agreed that the support is plausible but noted she lacks independent evidence to confirm it.

Suspicion of Ukrainian involvement dates back to July 2024, when an ambush on Russian Wagner fighters near Tinzaouaten caused heavy losses. At the time, Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's military intelligence service, said the Tuareg rebels received necessary information to carry out the attack. Ukraine denied direct military involvement. The incident renewed questions about whether the war between Russia and Ukraine is being fought on African soil.

Kyrylo Budanov, former head of Ukrainian military intelligence and now chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posted on X on September 7 that Ukrainian intelligence protects national interests globally. He referenced operations "from Russia to Africa … in the burning desert sands and in the snows of icy Antarctica.." while not explicitly naming Mali. DW reached out to the HUR for comment on personnel deployment and political approval but did not receive a specific response. An HUR spokesperson said the agency might provide information later.

The alliance is complicated by the fact that the Tuareg separatist Azawad Liberation Front cooperates with Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, a jihadist group affiliated with al-Qaeda. Cooperation between Tuareg and Islamist groups has existed for over a decade. Iyad Ag Ghaly, the current leader of the jihadist group, was involved in the Tuareg rebellion before turning to jihadism. Oliynyk-D'omochko described the relationship between the two groups as a situational alliance against a common enemy rather than a comprehensive partnership. She noted that the Azawad Liberation Front seeks self-determination in northern Mali rather than replacing the central government.

Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have accused Ukraine of supporting armed groups and threatening their territorial integrity. All three nations are ruled by military governments and have severed diplomatic relations with Kyiv. In September, Mali's Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop accused Ukraine at the United Nations of providing open support to terrorist groups. Diop did not provide evidence for the claim. The three nations have deepened their cooperation with Russia, potentially using the accusations to legitimize their partnership with Moscow.

Filatova argued that Ukrainian strategists view Russian troops anywhere in the world as legitimate targets. She suggested that setbacks in Mali would tie up Russian resources and undermine Moscow's reputation as a security partner. Oliynyk-D'omochko warned that alleged cooperation with separatists could undermine Ukraine's message of equal partnerships with African countries. The HUR has not yet confirmed the extent of Ukrainian involvement, leaving the political and military implications of the arrangement unclear.