The military government of Mali has taken delivery of two Mi-24P Hind-F combat helicopters from Russia, an AFP journalist saw who also saw at least five transport trucks. As shown by a tweet with a picture posted by aBamako on March 31, Defense Minister Sadio Camara late Wednesday, March 30, formally received the helicopters, radar, and other equipment brought by a Russian transport plane to a military base at Bamako airport, The Defense Post reports.
The delivery adds to at least four helicopters and weapons provided by Russia under closer ties forged by rebel colonels who seized power in 2020. Russia has also supplied what are officially described as military instructors — personnel that France says are operatives from Russia’s Wagner Group security arm. Let’s recall that Mali’s rapprochement with the Kremlin has prompted French forces and their European allies to announce their exit from the country where they have been carrying on Opération Barkhane that started on 1 August 2014 against Islamist groups in Africa’s Sahel region.