Archive · 31 Jul 2026
Russia's Africa Corps Kills Civilians in Mali Airstrike
A Russian paramilitary group called Africa Corps dropped bombs on a small village in Mali on June 15.
Eight people died, including three kids.
The bombs hit the village chief’s house and a cattle market.
Human Rights Watch said the attack didn’t hit any fighters, so it was unfair.
The group said it was hitting terrorists, but the evidence doesn’t support that.
This is part of a bigger problem where many civilians have been hurt by the group in the past year.
Russia's Africa Corps dropped at least two munitions on Kyrnia village, killing eight civilians, including three children.
The strikes hit the village chief’s home and a cattle market, killing the chief’s wife, two of his children, another child, and four men.
Human Rights Watch found no evidence that the targets were fighters from JNIM, the al‑Qaeda‑linked group controlling the area.
HRW described the attack as “unlawfully indiscriminate” because it did not appear to target specific military objectives.
The incident follows a pattern of civilian casualties by the Africa Corps, which killed 918 civilians last year, nearly four times the number killed by Islamist adversaries.
- Who
- Russia's Africa Corps paramilitary group, Human Rights Watch, and residents of Kyrnia village
- What
- An airstrike that killed eight civilians, including three children, in Mali's Kyrnia village
- When
- June 15, 2024
- Where
- Kyrnia village, Mopti region, Mali
- Why
- Africa Corps claimed to target a gathering of terrorist groups, but HRW found no military targets, labeling the strike unlawfully indiscriminate
- Incident date
- June 15, 2024
- Location
- Kyrnia village, Mopti region, Mali
- Perpetrator
- Russia's Africa Corps
- Casualties
- 8 civilians (including 3 children)
- Munitions dropped
- At least 2
- Target claimed
- Gathering of terrorist groups
- Investigation source
- Human Rights Watch
