Russia provides parachute training to Malians

Colonel Mahamadou Keïta recieves help with his parachute as Russian personnel (background right) look on. (Office de Radio Télévision nationale du Mali (ORTM))

Russian personnel have supported parachute training for Mali's 33rd Parachute Commando Regiment (33e RCP), Malian television revealed on 28 June.

It showed more than 20 soldiers, including Colonel Mahamadou Keïta, the regiment's commander, carrying out parachute training at a location that could be identified as the new apron at the main airbase at Bamako's international airport.

While the Russian African Corps personnel deployed to support the Armed Forces of Mali (FAMa) were not credited with providing the training, some were seen in the background of the footage, as were Mi-8AMTSh helicopters with Russian markings, one of which appeared to be used for the static-line jump. The Malians were also equipped with parachutes that were labelled in Cyrillic as D-6 Series 4, the standard Russian military type.

Based in the Djicoroni area of Bamako, the 33e RCP was implicated in the March 2022 Moura massacre, when up to 300 civilians were killed by Russian and FAMa personnel, prompting the US Department of State to impose sanctions on the unit's then-commander. The regiment was subsequently used to form the core of a battalion-sized combined arms tactical group (GTIA) that the FAMa announced in April 2023.

For more, please see: Mali rebels capture UAV ground station in Kidal