Tuareg rebels in Mali shot down a helicopter belonging to the African Corps, Al Jazeera reported.
The incident was filmed, and independent OSINT analyst OSINTWarfare confirmed the footage was authentic. The fate of the crew is unknown; Turkish journalist Mahmut Bozarslan, who covers the conflict in Mali, said everyone on board was killed.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has not commented on the loss. The pro-military Telegram channel “Afrikar’” — unofficially linked to the ministry — reported the crash.
In Mali, the military government that came to power in the 2021 coup is waging an armed struggle against Tuaregs seeking to establish their own independent state and Al-Qaeda Islamists. Russia’s Defense Ministry “African Corps” is fighting on the side of the official military authorities.
The last time rebels shot down a Russian military helicopter was in April. Everyone on board was killed.
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