Russia accuses Ukraine of supporting armed groups in Africa

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has accused Ukraine of directly supporting armed groups on the African continent and supplying them with weapons, including drones.

Speaking at a briefing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged that the “Kyiv regime” provides weapons to militants in Africa and trains fighters. She also claimed that, beyond what she described as direct support, Western-supplied weapons intended for Ukraine are increasingly ending up on the black market and in the hands of armed groups across Africa, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media. 

Zakharova said the illegal trafficking of weapons originally designated for Ukraine was rising on the African continent. She further alleged that Mali had become a key point of contact between what she described as Ukrainian-linked actors and armed groups.

According to Zakharova, attacks carried out last year in Mali — including assaults on fuel trucks, attempts to blockade cities, and incidents resulting in civilian deaths — took place with the involvement of external forces. She said Russia had provided what she described as "relevant evidence" but did not publicly detail it during the briefing.

Zakharova called on the international community to take measures to prevent weapons and their components from reaching armed groups and said that the supply of arms to militants should not go unpunished.

Ukraine has repeatedly denied Russian accusations of supporting armed groups abroad. Western governments have also said they monitor the end use of weapons supplied to Kyiv, while acknowledging concerns about illicit arms trafficking in conflict zones.

By Sabina Mammadli