Russia’s Africa Corps and the Malian military junta’s army have left their main base in the north of the country—in Tessalit.
This was reported by Africanews, citing the French news agency AFP.
As noted by journalists, Russian units withdrew without a fight, allowing Tuareg groups and jihadists to step up their offensive.
Located near the border with Algeria, Tessalit serves as a strategic base thanks to its advantageous geographical position.
This base is the oldest in the region; it was built during the French colonial era. It offers a ‘panoramic view’ of the Sahara and controls the route to the border.
The base features a 2,500-meter runway capable of accommodating helicopters and other large military aircraft.
This length is sufficient to accommodate large military transport aircraft, including the C-130 Hercules, A400M, or Russian Il-76.
Currently, representatives of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) report that the main Russian forces are retreating to the south of the country.
As a reminder, attacks on key bases of the Russian Africa Corps and the Malian junta’s army took place on April 25–26, 2026, across Mali, specifically in the cities of Bamako, Kati, Sevare, Gao, and Kidal.
On April 25, the JNIM (Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims) and FLA groups in Bamako killed Mali’s Defense Minister Sadio Camara. As early as April 26, the FLA announced that it had established control over the strategic city of Kidal.
After capturing the city, they managed to seize the control station for the Bayraktar TB2 tactical UAVs, which Mali had received back in December 2022.
It is worth noting that Russian forces suffered losses during the fighting. Specifically, on April 25, near the city of Gao, they lost a helicopter.
The crew and the mobile fire group it was transporting were killed. The cause of the loss is cited as ‘external fire.’
Earlier, Militarnyi reported that on April 27 in Mali, Russian mercenaries of the Africa Corps and units of the Malian junta, under pressure from the rebels, abandoned another base and the town of Tessit.
