Click to see full-size image. (Screengrab\Telegram\Africa Corps)
Russia’s Africa Corps has released footage of Su-24 bombers conducting aerial operations in Mali, providing a fresh look at the Russian warplanes supporting Malian military operations against militant groups.
The 4-minute video shows the warplanes carrying out combat sorties, including bombing runs with conventional unguided munitions.
Africa Corps published the footage on its Telegram channel under the title “Russia’s ‘Wings’ guarding Africa’s skies,” explicitly identifying the operations as taking place in Mali.
The Su-24 is a twin-engine, two-seat fighter-bomber with variable-sweep wings, built to strike ground targets in all weather conditions. It can carry a wide range of unguided bombs, along with guided air-to-ground munitions and missiles. Upgraded variants are fitted with the SVP-24 targeting system, which improves the accuracy of unguided conventional munitions by calculating the optimal release point from each weapon’s ballistic characteristics and the aircraft’s flight parameters.
The warplanes’ ability to carry a substantial weapons load and operate at low altitude provides Africa Corps with a strike capability beyond that offered by its attack helicopters and combat drones.
Their deployment is particularly relevant to operations in central and northern Mali, where the military faces pressure from the al-Qaida-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the separatist Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).
The bombers have been documented in Mali since April 2025. Their role expanded this year, helping repel attacks by the JNIM and the FLA in April and July, and supporting successful counterattacks.
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