Russia Builds Air Shadow Fleet Across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger as US and Europe Raise Alarm
Russia is expanding its military reach across Africa’s Sahel through an air shadow fleet of state and private aircraft supplying operations in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, drawing growing scrutiny from the United States and Europe. Between January 2025 and July 2026, at least 75 flights linked to Russian state-aligned military forces travelled to or…