Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Russia’s government-controlled paramilitary group, Africa Corps, of killing eight civilians, including three children, in an air strike in central Mali. The attack reportedly took place on June 15, 2026, in the village of Kyrnia, located in Mali’s Mopti region.

According to HRW’s report, two Malian military sources identified the aircraft involved as a Sukhoi Su-24, which dropped at least two munitions on Kyrnia during the attack. On June 23, Africa Corps posted on X (formerly Twitter) stating it had “conducted an airstrike against a gathering place of terrorists” and claimed that “several field commanders were eliminated.”

Russian paramilitaries from Africa Corps have been fighting alongside Malian soldiers against multiple armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL. Armed-group violence across Mali and neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths over the past decade. The United Nations reported at least 2,260 civilian deaths between January and March 2026 alone.

The incident highlights ongoing instability and the complex involvement of foreign paramilitary forces in Mali’s conflict zones.

Sources