A day after the French withdrawal from the camp in Gao, German and British soldiers from the UN mission Minusma observed the arrival of clearly Russian troops at the airport in the Malian city.
Not only Russian troops, but also two planes for so-called close air support – an EMB 314 Super Tucano and an L39 Albatros – were identified, the Operations Command wrote to the Defense Committee of the Bundestag on Tuesday. The letter was available to the “Spiegel” and the German news agency.
Observed during equipment unloading
20 to 30 people in military uniforms who could not be assigned to the Malian armed forces were seen unloading equipment from a transport plane, it said. These are “almost certainly” members of the Russian security forces. It is believed that the L39 cannot be operated by Malian personnel and must be operated by Russian forces.
France withdrew the last soldiers of its anti-terrorist operation “Barkhane” from Mali on Monday, also leaving the camp in Gao. Mali, with a population of about 20 million, has experienced three military coups since 2012 and is considered politically unstable. Since the most recent coup in May 2021, the country has been governed by an interim military government, which has been criticized by Western states for its close ties to Russia.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
