On June 15, 2026, Russia-controlled Africa Corps conducted air strikes in central Mali, resulting in the deaths of eight civilians, including three children, in what appears to be an unlawful attack. This incident raises serious concerns about Mali security operations.
That morning, an aircraft, identified by two Malian military sources as a Sukhoi Su-24, dropped at least two munitions on Kyrnia village in the Mopti region. The initial strike landed outside the village chief’s home, tragically killing two of his children, his wife, and another child, while injuring one woman. The second munition hit a small cattle market approximately twenty meters away, claiming the lives of four men and injuring two others. Notably, no fighters from armed Islamist groups were among the casualties.
“An Africa Corps aircraft, operating under Russian government control, has killed civilians in a Malian village in blatant disregard for the laws of war,” stated Ilaria Allegrozzi, a senior Sahel researcher. “By granting Russian authorities a blank check, the Malian government must recognize its own accountability for atrocities committed by its allied forces.”
Our investigation involved interviewing 19 individuals, including 6 direct witnesses, civil society members, community leaders, Malian military sources, and local journalists. We also meticulously analyzed satellite imagery of the strike locations, an Africa Corps video of the strikes posted online, and photographs shared on social media by an Islamist armed group.
On June 23, Africa Corps announced on its Facebook and X accounts that it had successfully carried out an air strike on a “gathering place for terrorist groups” in the Mopti region on June 15, claiming to have killed several field commanders. The group also published a video of the strikes and their aftermath. Our analysis geolocated the two strikes visible in the video to Kyrnia.
The Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM or Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, JNIM) has maintained control over Kyrnia for six years. Witnesses reported that at least 100 GSIM fighters, including a senior commander, were present in the village at the time of the strikes. However, these fighters were primarily gathered at the village mosque and in front of a shop near a small cattle market. Neither the mosque nor the shop was hit, but one munition struck the adjacent cattle market. The shop, owned by the village chief, a wealthy trader, is sometimes used by GSIM to store weapons, ammunition, fuel, and other supplies. A pick-up truck, similar to those commonly used by GSIM, was parked outside the chief’s house.
Since 2012, successive Malian governments have been engaged in conflict with Islamist armed groups. Following military coups in 2020 and 2021, junta leader General Assimi Goïta expelled French and UN forces, strengthening ties with Russia. Since 2021, the junta has relied on the Russia-linked Wagner Group for Mali security assistance. The mercenary group was rebranded as Africa Corps after the death of Wagner founder Evgeny Prigozhin in 2023, subsequently falling under direct control from Moscow.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged in June that Russian military personnel were collaborating with the Malian armed forces to ensure full control of Malian territory following GSIM attacks across the country on April 25. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that its forces were utilizing Su-24 aircraft to target GSIM fighters.
Media reports and satellite imagery indicate that Africa Corps has been deploying Su-24 aircraft in Mali since at least April 2025 to support the Malian army. No public records exist documenting the transfer of Su-24s to Malian authorities. These aircraft can carry a wide range of aerial munitions, including guided weapons, which are consistent with the damage observed in Kyrnia.
Witnesses recounted seeing a fighter jet flying low over Kyrnia, emitting a deafening roar. “It was a fighter jet, very fast… it flew low… from west to east,” described a 35-year-old trader. “I saw it drop a bomb… like a fireball… and I ran to take cover under a tree.”
A 37-year-old cattle herder stated he was sitting at the cattle market when he heard a loud rumble, followed by an explosion. He then saw thick black smoke rising from homes near the chief’s house, followed by a second explosion. “The market was in disarray,” he said, “stalls swept away for several meters, shredded cattle and sheep.” He assisted other residents in clearing debris from the collapsed chief’s house, while GSIM fighters coordinated rescue efforts. “The chief’s second wife was dead, and she had lost… her arms,” he explained. “Then [we found] the [bodies of the] two children… and another boy who had been thrown onto the roof by the explosion.”
Our analysis of the Africa Corps video and satellite images from June 25 revealed two craters in the southern part of Kyrnia, each approximately 12 meters wide, indicating two large air-dropped munitions. Approximately nine market stalls, visible in satellite images from February 7, appear to have been destroyed by the second strike. The strike outside the chief’s residence landed between structures, causing at least one building to collapse.
A 48-year-old camel herder recounted being “thrown [to the ground] by the blast of the first explosion” before realizing he was “covered in sand and debris.… [S]ome people in front of me were injured, some had broken arms.”
A 40-year-old man identified “the bodies of three traders,” struck “as they were traveling on a tricycle loaded with bags of dates” through the cattle market.
The second strike injured three men, one of whom succumbed to his injuries the following day. A witness explained that the man had been hit by bomb fragments and that “[h]is arms had been shredded.”
We examined a list containing the names of the eight victims, which included three children aged 1 to 10, a 24-year-old woman, and four men aged 30 to 40.
Witnesses reported that on June 14, a drone, likely operated by Malian armed forces or Africa Corps, flew over Kyrnia, suggesting the village was under surveillance. “I saw a drone in the sky the day before, between 4 and 5 p.m.,” described the camel herder. “It made several passes over the village before leaving.”
Witnesses stated that approximately one hundred GSIM fighters were in the village during the strikes, most of them at the mosque, about 150 meters from the impact sites. A 40-year-old man indicated that some GSIM fighters at the mosque were on motorcycles. “They had automatic weapons and wore military uniforms or boubous, their faces covered with turbans,” he explained. The trader also stated that many GSIM fighters, including a senior commander, were inside or outside the village chief’s shop, located next to the cattle market hit by the second munition.
The strikes occurred on a market day, when Kyrnia was bustling with traders, buyers, and villagers. Residents indicated that since GSIM took control of the area, Kyrnia has become a commercial hub with a significant cattle market.
Local residents affirmed that GSIM purchased supplies, including fuel and food, at the Kyrnia market. They speculated that the air strikes might have targeted the village chief’s residence because his pick-up truck, similar to those used by GSIM, was parked outside. They also explained that three of the chief’s sons were GSIM fighters, but they were not in Kyrnia at the time of the attack.
The laws of war, which govern the armed conflict in Mali, prohibit attacks targeting civilians and civilian objects, those that fail to distinguish between civilians and combatants, or those likely to cause disproportionate harm to civilians or civilian objects compared to any anticipated military advantage. Belligerent parties conducting attacks are obligated to take all feasible precautions to minimize civilian casualties. Parties should refrain from deploying in densely populated areas. The strikes in Kyrnia did not appear to target specific military objectives and would therefore constitute illegal indiscriminate attacks. The chief’s business dealings with GSIM do not render him a legitimate target. Our investigation uncovered no information indicating that the chief’s house was used to store weapons or ammunition.
The Malian government has an obligation to investigate this incident and hold those responsible for violations of the laws of war, including members of Africa Corps, accountable. This is crucial for maintaining stability in West Africa Mali.
“The Malian government cannot hide behind the laws of war violations committed by its Russian allies,” concluded Ilaria Allegrozzi. “The junta must impartially investigate all possible war crimes perpetrated on its territory, including the air strikes in Kyrnia, or be held complicit in these abuses.”
