A Russian government-controlled military force operating in Mali has been accused of carrying out an unlawful airstrike that killed eight civilians, including three children, in the country’s conflict-ridden central region, prompting renewed scrutiny of Moscow’s expanding military role in the West African nation.
Despite the presence of Islamist combatants in the area, Human Rights Watch (HRW) claimed that the June 15 bombing on Kyrnia hamlet, in Mali’s Mopti district, appeared to breach the laws of war since it failed to distinguish between military objectives and civilians.
The allegations come as Mali continues to battle Islamist insurgencies more than a decade after violence first engulfed large parts of the country. Since military coups in 2020 and 2021, the transitional authorities led by Gen. Assimi Goïta have significantly strengthened military cooperation with Russia after expelling French forces and ending the United Nations peacekeeping mission.
The latest findings place renewed international attention on the conduct of Russian forces supporting Mali’s military operations, amid longstanding accusations from human rights organizations that both Malian security forces and their foreign allies have committed serious abuses during counterinsurgency campaigns.
According to Human Rights Watch, an aircraft identified by two Malian military sources as a Sukhoi Su-24 dropped at least two munitions on Kyrnia in June. One bomb struck near the residence of the village chief, killing his wife, two of their children and another child. A second strike hit a nearby cattle market, killing four men.
The organization stated that despite the presence of fighters from Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked armed group that has controlled the village for the past six years, there was no evidence that any militants were killed in the attack.
Witnesses interviewed by Human Rights Watch revealed that approximately 100 JNIM fighters, including a senior commander, were present in Kyrnia when the airstrike occurred. However, they were reportedly gathered primarily around the village mosque and near a shop used by the group, neither of which was hit during the operation.
Instead, the munitions struck civilian areas, raising serious concerns about compliance with international humanitarian law.
The accusations emerge against the backdrop of Mali’s increasingly close security partnership with Moscow. Following the withdrawal of French forces and the departure of the UN peacekeeping mission, Bamako turned to the Wagner Group for military assistance. After the death of Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin in 2023, the mercenary organization was restructured into the Africa Corps, which now operates under the direct control of the Russian government.
Russian officials have publicly acknowledged that military personnel are assisting Malian forces in efforts to regain territory following intensified attacks by Islamist armed groups earlier this year.
Rights Groups Demand Accountability as Conflict in Mali Intensifies
Human Rights Watch has called on Mali’s transitional government to launch an independent investigation into the June 15 airstrike and ensure that those responsible are held accountable if violations of international law are confirmed.
According to Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch, “Russian government-controlled Africa Corps aircraft have killed civilians in a Malian village in seeming disregard for the laws of war.”
Ilaria Allegrozzi added, “by handing the Russian authorities a blank check, the Malian government should be aware that it too is accountable for allied forces’ atrocities.”
The latest allegations add to mounting concerns over civilian protection in Mali, where violence involving Islamist groups, government forces and foreign military partners has escalated significantly in recent years.
According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), Malian government forces operating alongside Russian paramilitary fighters were responsible for the deaths of 918 civilians last year almost four times the number of civilians reportedly killed by their principal Islamist adversaries during the same period.
Meanwhile, the United Nations and Amnesty International have also urged investigations into alleged war crimes committed not only by government-aligned forces but also by armed groups including JNIM and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), which have intensified attacks across Mali.
Earlier this year, coordinated assaults by JNIM and the FLA reportedly killed Mali’s defence minister and targeted the country’s main international airport, underscoring the growing security challenges confronting the military government.
Residents of Kyrnia interviewed for the Human Rights Watch study confirmed that the village chief’s three sons were members of JNIM, but they were not there when the airstrike happened. They also revealed that, while scores of militants were present in Kyrnia on the day of the attack, they had assembled in areas that had not been targeted.
The findings have reignited concerns about the conduct of aerial operations in counterterrorism campaigns, as well as armed personnel’ duty to distinguish between combatants and civilians under international humanitarian law.
As Mali’s conflict enters another volatile phase, rights organizations warn that allegations of indiscriminate attacks and civilian casualties risk deepening grievances among affected communities while undermining efforts to restore stability.
Calls are now growing for transparent investigations and greater accountability from both Mali’s military authorities and their Russian allies as the country continues its battle against insurgent groups across the Sahel.
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