Ukrainian officials report that Russia is expanding its presence and influence across Africa through educational programs and youth initiatives designed to cultivate political leaders and “cultural elite” favorable to Moscow.

According to Andrii Yusov, a representative of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, Russia maintains government-funded university quotas specifically for African students. The programs focus on agriculture, engineering, education, and medicine, with students receiving state-sponsored education in Russian institutions.

“African education and sports are increasingly being used by the aggressor state as instruments of hybrid influence aimed at forming a new generation of political and managerial elites loyal to the Kremlin,” Yusov stated.

The intelligence assessment indicates that Russia plans to establish Russian language courses at major African universities alongside professional development programs for local educators. The long-term objective involves synchronizing African educational curricula with Russian Federation standards.

This educational strategy represents part of what Ukrainian officials describe as an effort to embed Russian perspectives within African education systems permanently. 

Pushkin’s days in Africa

Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation also reported that Russia utilized celebrations of poet Alexander Pushkin’s birthday to advance its influence campaign. Events marking the occasion occurred in several African capitals on 11 June, organized by Rossotrudnichestvo, Russia’s state agency for international cooperation.

According to the Center, these cultural events served dual purposes. While featuring poetry recitations and Russian language instruction, the gatherings also included anti-Western messaging and justifications for Russian foreign policy decisions.

“‘Pushkin days’ are just a façade that Russia uses to cover its true intentions of increasing its influence in Africa. By holding such events, Russia presents itself as a supposedly powerful country with a great culture, while simultaneously fostering a negative perception of the ‘collective West,'” the Center writes.

Since 2021, Russian Wagner mercenaries have detained, tortured, and forcibly disappeared hundreds of civilians in secret prisons across Mali, according to a joint investigation published on June 12 by Forbidden Stories, France 24, Le Monde, and IStories.

The investigation found that mercenaries with Russia's Wagner Group, working alongside Malian government forces, had systematically abducted and detained civilians, holding them in prisons at former United Nations bases and military bases across Mali.

Drawing on eyewitness accounts and satellite imagery, the investigation identified six detention centers where Wagner held civilians between 2022 and 2024. The total number of Wagner detention centers in Mali is likely to be much higher.

Prisoners were subjected to systematic torture – including beatings, waterboarding, electric shocks, starvation, and confinement in sweltering metal containers.

The investigation was carried out as part of the Viktoriia project, in memory of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who was captured by Russian forces in 2023 while investigating the illegal detention of civilians in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. She was killed in Russian captivity in 2024.

The Russian mercenary group, known for its deployment in Ukraine and short-lived rebellion against the Kremlin in 2023, has a strong presence across the African continent, backing Russian business interests and Moscow-friendly regimes.

The mercenaries have been particularly active in Mali since late 2021 and have been accused of perpetrating war crimes. In December 2024, Human Rights Watch accused Wagner mercenaries and Malian government forces of deliberately killing 32 civilians.

The Wagner Group recently announced its withdrawal from Mali, where it fought alongside Malian government forces to fend off Islamist insurgents. Wagner has been active across the African continent for years and has been previously accused of committing human rights abuses.

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The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Russia is quietly building a pro-Kremlin power base across Africa by targeting the continent's youth and academic institutions with state-funded educational programs and cultural influence campaigns, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said on June 12.

According to Andrii Yusov, the agency's spokesperson, the Kremlin's strategic aim is to shape a future generation of African elites that are politically and ideologically aligned with Moscow's interests.

"African education and sports are increasingly being used by Russia as tools of hybrid influence with a view to forming a new generation of political and administrative elites loyal to the Kremlin,” Yusov said in a statement.

HUR says that Russia has been preserving and even expanding government-funded university quotas for African students, particularly in fields such as agriculture, engineering, pedagogy, and medicine. These programs are designed to build networks of influence while providing young professionals with technical skills under the umbrella of Russian ideology.

In parallel, Moscow is pushing to introduce Russian language courses and teacher training initiatives in prominent African universities. The long-term goal, according to Yusov, is to synchronize African educational systems with Russian standards.

Russia has long been using hybrid warfare and disinformation in Africa, particularly since it started the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

While some African countries have maintained a neutral stance or abstained from key U.N. votes condemning Russian aggression, Ukrainian officials and independent analysts say the Kremlin is actively working to tilt that neutrality in its favor by exploiting historical Soviet ties and offering academic and economic incentives.

Beyond education, HUR also flagged the Kremlin's growing investment in youth sports programs on the continent as part of its broader hybrid warfare toolkit.

Bloomberg reported in June 2024 that the Kremlin is coercing thousands of migrants and foreign students, particularly from Africa, to fight in its war against Ukraine.

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The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko

Russia has been shipping weapons to conflict zones in West Africa in violation of international sanctions, the Associated Press (AP) reported on June 10, citing radio signals, satellite images, and military officials.

The deliveries represent another sign of Russia's expanding military footprint in African nations.

Russian-flagged cargo ships delivered howitzers, radio jammers, and other military equipment to a port in Guinea in late May after a month-long voyage from the Baltic Sea, the AP reported. Other ships made deliveries to the same port in January, carrying armored vehicles and tanks.

Some of the vessels involved in the shipments, including Russia's Baltic Leader and Patria, are on Western sanctions lists.

The weapons delivered to Guinea were then carried in trucks to neighboring Mali, European military officials told the AP. The outlet analyzed video footage from a Malian blogger to verify the report.

Footage analyzed by the AP identified Russian-made 152 mm artillery guns, small cannons, and a BTR-80 armored troop carrier equipped with radio-jamming devices entering Mali. The delivery also included tanker trucks and semi-inflatable boats, one marked with a painted Russian flag.

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The statement marks a sharp departure from the typically measured tone of recent U.S.-Russia exchanges and signals Washington’s concern over Moscow’s expanding military footprint in Africa.

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

According to military officials, most of the weapons were likely delivered not to the Malian Armed Forces but to Russia's "Africa Corps," a paramilitary group controlled by the Russian Defense Ministry. Russian mercenaries, including the notorious Wagner Group, have fought alongside Malian government forces since 2021, in attempts to fend off Islamic insurgents.

The Wagner Group announced its withdrawal from Mali on June 6, but Africa Corps intends to maintain an active presence in the country.

Satellite images from the Bamako air base indicate that Africa Corps also has at least one Su-24 bomber, the AP reported.

Wagner forces in Mali have been sanctioned for alleged war crimes and widespread looting. In December 2024, Human Rights Watch accused Wagner mercenaries and Malian government forces of deliberately killing 32 civilians.

Wagner mercenaries and Malian soldiers have also reportedly suffered heavy losses in their engagements with Tuareg-led rebels.

After a short-lived rebellion against Moscow led by former Wagner Commander Yevgeny Prigozhin in June 2023, Russia sought to tighten its control over operations in Africa — the majority of which were led by Wagner forces.

The influx of Russian weapons into Mali is likely accelerating Africa Corps' rise over Wagner in the region, officials and experts told the AP. The weaponry could also help prevent Russian forces in Africa from suffering the kinds of heavy losses incurred last summer.

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The Kyiv IndependentNgotho Gichuru

Errol Musk, the South African billionaire and father of Elon Musk, traveled to Moscow to take part in a Kremlin-aligned ideological forum “Future-2050” organized by Alexandr Dugin, a central figure in Russia’s Kremlin-backed nationalist movement. During his visit, Musk Sr. expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and repeated several Ukraine-related narratives of Kremlin propaganda.

Forum hosted by Russian World ideologist Alexandr Dugin

On 7 June, Russian propaganda outlets Tsargrad and REN TV reported that Errol Musk had arrived in Moscow to attend the “Future Forum-2050.” The event is organized by Alexandr Dugin, who is widely known as the chief ideologist of the “Russian World” concept and a vocal supporter of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine. Dugin has long advocated for the destruction of Ukrainian statehood and played a role in pro-Russian protests in 2014.

The forum is backed by Konstantin Malofeev, a Russian Orthodox businessman recognized for financing projects promoting radical anti-Western and anti-democratic ideologies.

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Speaking to journalists at the event, Errol Musk once again expressed his support for Vladimir Putin, according to Liga. He repeated several well-known Kremlin talking points, including false claims about “biolaboratories” in Ukraine and the supposed need to “protect Russian-speaking populations.” These themes are central to Russia’s narrative justifying its aggression in Ukraine.

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Earlier, on 4 April 2025, Musk Sr. told the Russian-language BBC service that his family holds “a certain admiration” for Putin.

Forum agenda includes Russian ideological and military themes

The forum is structured around a series of panels and discussions focusing on Russia’s ideological future and military aspirations. The announced topics include:

• “The fight for souls and minds. The ideology of sovereign Russia”
• “Russian cosmism. The race for Mars”
• “Digital sovereignty. Artificial intelligence in the service of Russia”
• “Patriotic education. The image of the hero of our time”
• “Wars of the future. Gamification of war”

Among the invited speakers are Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, state TV host and top propagandist Ekaterina Andreeva from Channel One, and a number of propagandists from Western countries.

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The Wagner mercenary group announced on June 6 that it was withdrawing its presence from Mali, ending its fight with rebel groups.

"Mission accomplished. Private Military Company Wagner returns home," the group, founded by the late Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced on social media.

Wagner mercenaries have been fighting alongside Malian government forces since 2021, in attempts to fend off Islamic insurgents.

The group said that it was ending its presence as "all regional capitals have returned to the control of the legitimate government," providing little rationale for the group's exit from the war-torn nation.

Wagner mercenaries and Malian soldiers have reportedly suffered heavy losses in their engagements with Tuareg-led rebels.

The Russian mercenary group, known for its deployment in Ukraine and short-lived rebellion against the Kremlin in 2023, has a strong presence across the African continent, backing Russian business interests and Moscow-friendly regimes.

The mercenaries have been particularly active in Mali since late 2021 and has been accused of perpetrating war crimes and widespread looting. In December 2024, Human Rights Watch accused Wagner mercenaries and Malian government forces of deliberately killing 32 civilians.

The so-called "Africa Corps," under the command of Russia's Defense Ministry, who fought alongside Wagner mercenaries, will continue to have an active presence in Mali.

Mali broke diplomatic ties with Ukraine over its alleged support of Tuareg-led rebels without providing any evidence of direct cooperation. The step was taken after comments by Andrii Yusov, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) spokesperson, about the rebels receiving "useful information, and not just that, which allowed them to carry out a successful military operation against Russian war criminals."

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry later denied the country's involved with rebel groups.

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The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Sergey Surovikin, former Commander of the Russian Group of Forces in Ukraine, has appeared publicly for the first time since 2023, reportedly taking up a new role as “head of a group of Russian military specialists” at the Russian Embassy in Algeria. According to the British Ministry of Defence’s Defence Intelligence update on 27 May, photographs released by the Russian Embassy depict a visibly thinner Surovikin participating in an event commemorating Russia’s 9 May Victory Day.

Public absence followed Wagner mutiny

The Ministry reported that Surovikin had not been seen in public for many months following the failed June 2023 mutiny by the Wagner Group, which was led by Yevgeny Prigozhin. The uprising was publicly denounced by Russian President Vladimir Putin as “treason.” Surovikin, who also served as commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), did not appear in official functions during the period following the mutiny.

Reports of arrest, resignation unconfirmed

The report notes that there were no public confirmations regarding Surovikin’s arrest or detention in relation to the mutiny. The Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) did not officially declare his resignation. However, by September 2023, references to him were reportedly removed from the Ministry of Defense’s website, suggesting a change in his status.

“Russian authorities were likely suspicious of Surovikin’s long association with Wagner dating back to his operational activity in Syria, a notable operational nexus for Wagner, from 2017. Surovikin also served as point of contact for Wagner with the Russian MOD,” the intelligence update reads.