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Africa North
Boris Rozhin: Aftermath of fighting in Mali. April 26, 2026
2026-04-28
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited

Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin
[ColonelCassad] Photos from Mali after repelling the militant offensive.

The results: Mali lost Kidal, a small number of local soldiers, and it's still unclear whether the Malian Minister of Defense is alive or not.

Our forces suffered several dead, dozens wounded, and lost a helicopter (shot down by a MANPADS), an armored personnel carrier (BTR-82) (lost), and a Typhoon (captured). The cut-off units in Mali, following agreements between the government and the militants, retreated in an organized manner to Gao.

The militants (a conglomerate of local al-Qaeda
…JNIM…
and Azawad separatists) suffered over 1,000 dead, a large number wounded, several dozen captured, and several dozen lynched by local residents. Overall, the militants managed to capture a fairly large settlement at a high cost, which Wagner and the Malian army had recaptured from them two years earlier. But they failed to achieve the overall goals of the offensive.

More:
Visual confirmation of IS-Sahel in control of Labbezanga, on the Mali-Niger border after the hasty withdrawal of the Russian Africa Corps and the Malian army, the exit was not negotiated as the withdrawing convoy ended



Even more


Text:
Kidal and Tessalit are now under Tuareg control. Russian and government forces continue to withdraw from northern Mali.

Following the complete withdrawal of the PMC Wagner "Africa Corps" and the FAMa from Kidal and Tessalit after an agreement with the FAL/JNIM coalition, Tuareg forces took full control of the two cities and their military bases.

The withdrawal from Aguelhok continues toward Anefif, which has also been under siege since the April 25 offensive and will likewise be abandoned without resistance.
Related:
Mali: 2026-04-27 Understanding JNIM’s Expansion Beyond the Sahel
Mali: 2026-04-27 Al-Qaeda (JNIM) offensive in Mali shows that Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and northern Nigeria are all in danger of falling
Mali: 2026-04-27 Zineb Riboua: My assessment on Mali situation and NATO South
Related:
Kidal: 2026-04-27 Al-Qaeda (JNIM) offensive in Mali shows that Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and northern Nigeria are all in danger of falling
Kidal: 2026-04-27 On the attempted coup in Mali
Kidal: 2026-04-26 City whose fall has been confirmed is Kidal, and the Russian African Corps and the Malian army are still entrenched in it
Related:
Russian Africa Corp: 2026-04-27 On the attempted coup in Mali
Russian Africa Corp: 2026-04-26 City whose fall has been confirmed is Kidal, and the Russian African Corps and the Malian army are still entrenched in it
Russian Africa Corp: 2026-04-09 Good Morning
Related:
Tessalit: 2025-11-15 JNIM conducted rocket strikes against the city of Kidal today, northern Mali
Tessalit: 2025-10-20 Russian mercenaries replace Western forces as ISIS surges across Africa's Sahel region
Tessalit: 2025-10-14 Mali imposed a $10,000 visa bond on US visitors in retaliation for Washington’s inclusion of Bamako in its own visa bond programme
Related:
Aguelhok: 2026-04-09 Mali: Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) struck Malian Army and Russian Africa Corps soldiers in the vicinity of Kidal.
Aguelhok: 2026-03-12 Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) carried out an attack against the military camp of the FAMa (Malian army) in Gao
Aguelhok: 2026-02-20 In Mali, Russians mercenaries defeated in the Kidal area
Posted by:badanov

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