Russia Has Established a 'Shadow Air Fleet' to Support Military Operations in the African Sahel A report by the Brussels-based portal Euractiv, citing data from the Washington-based NGO Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), has revealed that Russia has developed a "shadow air fleet" to supply its military forces operating in the African Sahel region. The report, published on August 12, details the existence of an extensive network of military and private aircraft used to transport personnel, equipment, and supplies to conflict zones in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The findings were shared with Euractiv on August 22, highlighting the scale and complexity of Russia’s logistical operations in the region. According to the C4ADS analysis, the shadow air fleet has been actively used since January 2025, with at least 75 flights recorded by July 2026. These flights are facilitated by a combination of state-controlled entities, government agencies, and private transport companies. The report emphasizes that the network operates in a manner similar to Russia’s "shadow fleet" used for maritime oil exports, which has been a subject of international scrutiny. The system is described as a "comprehensive logistics system," enabling the efficient movement of military assets across vast distances while evading direct attribution to Russian state actors. The most active carrier within the network is the OJSC "224th Flight Squadron," a state-owned entity under the Russian Ministry of Defense. This squadron has been under U.S. sanctions since the time of the report’s publication, raising questions about the legal and geopolitical implications of its operations. Other key players include Sapsan Airlines and Liz Aviation, both of which are not subject to restrictions from the EU, the U.S., or the UK.#russia #mali #euractiv #center_for_advanced_defense_studies #burkina_faso
