Sanctioned Russian ship delivers military equipment to Mali, — BBC

A Russian cargo ship under sanctions is believed to have delivered a large consignment of military equipment to the port of Lomé in Togo for Russian and Malian forces.

BBC Verify reports.

Footage broadcast by Mali’s state television on July 25 showed a large convoy of armoured vehicles arriving in the capital Bamako. Journalists said the equipment had arrived from the port of Lomé in Togo.

According to ship tracking systems, the cargo ship Mikhail Britnev entered Lomé on July 9. Satellite images analysed by experts suggest it could have carried military trucks, BTR-type armoured personnel carriers and light infantry fighting vehicles similar to those later seen in Bamako.

The ship left the Russian port of Baltiysk on June 18, sailed through the North Sea and entered the English Channel. According to BBC Verify, it was accompanied in the strait by a Russian landing ship of the Toad class.

After passing through the English Channel, the dry cargo ship turned off its transponder and reappeared in tracking systems only before entering the port of Togo.

Mikhail Britnev has been under US sanctions since 2024.

According to Mali’s state television, after unloading, the equipment was transported through the territory of Togo and Burkina Faso to Mali. Burkina Faso is also under the rule of a military junta that maintains close relations with Moscow.

Defense intelligence analysts Janes noted that the delivered vehicles could be used for logistics, maneuver planning and directly in combat operations. Experts believe that the supply indicates the Kremlin’s intention to increase support for the military government of Mali. Its forces have recently suffered a series of setbacks in battles with rebels in the north of the country.

The offensive is led by the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin group and Tuareg separatists, who have seized large areas of northern Mali.

Russia has been supporting Mali’s military government since the withdrawal of French forces from the country in 2022. Initially, mercenaries from the Wagner group operated there, but their operations later came under the control of the African Corps, which is subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

According to BBC Verify, the port of Baltiysk has already been used to send military cargo to West Africa. In particular, in February, the bulk carrier Sabetta loaded military-like equipment there, and later called at the port of Conakry in Guinea.

Another ship, which was not displayed in tracking systems, was spotted loading military vehicles in Baltiysk on June 6.

Charlie Werb, an analyst at Aldebaran Threat Consultants, said the new supply could help Russian and Malian forces accumulate resources for offensive operations in rebel-held territory.

Despite recent setbacks, Mali remains an important part of Russia’s strategy in Africa, he said, and the African Corps is a key tool in supporting the junta in Bamako.

Earlier, USM reported that Russia is arming its gas tankers in the Baltics with machine guns.