Ukraine is fighting Russia anywhere it can - even in the deserts of Africa

Key Points:

• Ukrainian drone specialists have been deployed to Mali and other African countries to assist local forces fighting Russian troops, extending Kyiv's anti-Russian efforts beyond Ukraine's borders.
• In Mali, about 15 Ukrainian operators support Tuareg rebels with drone operations, remotely coordinating missions and providing training, although they do not engage directly on the front lines.
• Ukraine has also sent military experts to Middle Eastern countries to help local forces counter Iranian-made drones used by Russia, receiving security cooperation and ammunition in return.
• Russia’s presence in Africa, particularly through the Africa Corps (formerly Wagner Group), aims to maintain influence by supporting local regimes in resource-rich, unstable regions, but Ukrainian operations seek to undermine Moscow’s reliability as an ally.
• Ukrainian forces view their overseas missions as opportunities to test equipment under harsh conditions and demonstrate their drone warfare expertise globally, while also contributing to weakening Russian forces on multiple continents.