KA’KA, MOPTI REGION, MALI – SEPTEMBER, 2026 Footage has been released that allegedly shows the bodies of Russian mercenaries killed in an ambush of a joint patrol of the Malian army and Russian Africa Corps forces. According to available information, fighters from the local Dozo militia were also reportedly killed in the ambush. The footage was released by the jihadist group JNIM, which claims to have carried out the attack.
Russian soldiers operate in Mali alongside the Malian armed forces as part of Russia’s Africa Corps. Russia initially sent Wagner Group units to the country, which had supported the Malian government since 2021 in its fight against rebel and jihadist groups. Following the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin and Moscow’s subsequent takeover of control over Russian operations in Africa, Wagner was gradually replaced in Mali by Africa Corps, which is directly subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
One of the main opponents of Malian and Russian forces is Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM). It is a jihadist organization linked to al-Qaeda that operates primarily in the Sahel region and is waging a major insurgency against government and security forces in Mali. JNIM has grown significantly stronger in recent years and has repeatedly attacked Malian forces and their Russian allies.
