A Russian Helicopter Was Shot Down In Mali

• 26.04.2026, 12:25

The crew and firing team were killed.

Separatist Tuareg members of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), along with JNIM jihadist fighters linked to al-Qaeda, have launched a major offensive against the country's military junta. This was reported by Military Forces.

Battles continued in the area of the Kati military base near the capital Bamako, in the cities of Gao and Kidal and others.

FLA spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadan said his forces had taken control of several positions in Gao and Kidal, which just happens to house a base of former Wagnerites whom Gen. Assimi Goita hired to fight the rebels after a military coup in 2021.

Social media published footage of what is said to be a downed helicopter of Russian mercenaries on fire.

On Sunday morning, April 26, Russian propagandist Ilya Tumanov, who administers the Fighterbomber profile channel, confirmed that the Russians had lost one of their helicopters in Africa, which came under "external fire" from an anti-aircraft missile system.

The helicopter's crew and the mobile fire team on board were killed.