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The Russian Federation is strengthening its strategic ties with the juntas of the Alliance of Sahelian States, increasing its influence in Africa and opening up access to the region’s mineral resources with potentially huge reserves of gold, uranium and other valuable natural resources.
ISW writes about this
Experts point out that Russia is strengthening its strategic ties with the juntas of the Alliance of Sahelian States (AES), joining forces to increase Russian influence in Africa.
On April 3, at the AES summit in Moscow, Russia, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso agreed to establish a strategic partnership and strengthen the newly created joint AES military force, making Russia the first country to recognize the trilateral joint force established on July 6, 2024.
“Russia and the AES member states have expressed their readiness to jointly combat regional instability and intensify ongoing efforts to combat terrorism, with Russia agreeing to provide modern weapons and military training for the planned 5,000-strong joint force to be deployed in the central Sahel region.”
On April 3, Bloomberg reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia would use military instructors already in the area to conduct such training – likely referring to the Russian Defense Ministry’s African Corps, which transported large convoys of equipment to Mali via Guinea in 2025.
“Russia’s support for the AES is a long-term strategic effort to advance the Kremlin’s geopolitical goals of undermining Western influence in Africa and threatening NATO’s southern flank, as regularly assessed in the Critical Threats Project’s Africa Dossier.
Russia’s leading role in military training and arms procurement for the AES could bring additional lucrative benefits in the form of…resource concession agreements that would give the Kremlin access to an energy- and mineral-rich region with potentially vast reserves of gold, uranium, and other valuable natural resources.”
ISW’s key findings for April 4:
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, gave several interviews to US media on April 3 and expressed views that contradict the Kremlin’s current line on Ukraine.
The Kremlin remains unwilling to commit to a general ceasefire in Ukraine, continuing to reject the ground ceasefire proposed by US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
On April 4, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the US is closely monitoring Russia’s actions in Ukraine and hopes that Russia is “serious” about resolving the war and not just delaying negotiations.
On April 4, a Russian ballistic missile hit a residential area in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro region, killing at least 18 people, including children.
Russia continues to use strike systems, mostly consisting of drones, amid reports that it is building up its missile stockpile.
In January 2025, Ukrzaliznytsia signed two contracts with Chinese railway manufacturers to support the development and repair of Ukraine’s rail infrastructure.
Russia is strengthening its strategic ties with the juntas of the Alliance of Sahelian States, joining forces to increase Russian influence in Africa.
Ukrainian troops advance near Chasovyi Yar and Pokrovsk. Russian troops advanced near Kupyansk, Toretsk and Pokrovsk.
It is reported that the Russian army continues to build up the final number of armed forces.
