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Russia caught shipping weapons and suspected spies to Africa aboard civilian cessels
Russia has been using civilian cargo vessels in order to transport military equipment and suspected undercover intelligence operatives to Africa, with 28 persons believed to have traveled under fabricated identities aboard vessels carrying supplies for Russian military operations. According to a joint investigation published on Oct 19, 2026, by the Dossier Center, Follow the Money, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Danwatch, and Delfi, the suspected operatives sailed aboard on the whole seven Russian cargo vessels with military equipment, which was primarily intended for Russia’s Africa Corps, a Defense Ministry-controlled formation that replaced the Wagner mercenary group. The names, dates of birth, and identity document numbers of these people could not be found in publicly available records or leaked databases. They were likely Russian intelligence personnel operating under cover identities. The investigation found that the passengers used Russian passports without biometric chips. Several documents differed only in their final digits, while two carried consecutive numbers, suggesting they may have been issued together as part of a coordinated operation. The documents displayed characteristics associated with passports used in intelligence operations. Analysts at US-based security research organization C4ADS also concluded that the passengers’ personal information appeared to have been fabricated. One of the shipments involved the 'Sabetta', which arrived at the port of Conakry on March 19 and delivered approximately 50 military and support vehicles, including armoured vehicles and fuel tankers. The equipment was subsequently transported overland to Mali, where Russia’s Africa Corps maintains a military presence. Four passengers aboard the 'Sabetta' had identity details that investigators could not verify through other available records. The vessel is owned by Severny Proekt, a Russian company involved in state defense contracts and special projects for the state nuclear corporation Rosatom. The investigation also identified three roro vessels, the 'Adler' (IMO: 9179854), 'Ascalon' (IMO 9198226) and 'Baltic Leader' (IMO: 9220639, which were operated by the MG-Flot, a Russian shipping company sanctioned by the USA and European Union over activities linked to Iran and supplies supporting Russian drone production. Three additional cargo vessels, the 'Mikhail Britnev' (IMO: 9081370), 'Mys Zhelaniya' (IMO: 9366110) and 'Siyanie Severa' (IMO: 9250385), were also identified as part of the maritime network. The 'Siyanie Severa' had previously transported grain from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. The vessels frequently switched off their AIS transponders during voyages to Africa, making their movements more difficult to track. Russia may have deployed personnel from the Federal Security Service (FSB) or military intelligence agency (GRU) to accompany the shipments because of the sensitive military cargo. The suspected intelligence operatives could have been tasked with monitoring crews and preventing vessels from complying with potential orders to stop issued by European authorities. Approximately 15 Ukrainian drone specialists have been operating in Mali, providing training and operational support to local forces fighting Russia’s Africa Corps. Ukrainian personnel have also conducted drone operations in Sudan and Libya, targeting Russian-linked military and maritime activities. Report with photos: https://united24media.com/world/russia-caught-shipping-weapons-and-suspected-undercover-spies-to-africa-aboard-civilian-vessels-23571
Sanctioned Russian ship delivered armoured vehicles to Mali
The 'Sabetta' arrived in Conakry on March 19, 2026, where it unloaded military vehicles that were then transported to Mali’s armed forces or the Russian paramilitary group the African Corps. On Feb 6, the military vehicles were loaded onto the ship in the Baltiysk Port in Kaliningrad, destined for Mali. The 'Sabetta' sailed on Feb 22, escorted by the Russian military vessel 'Aleksandr Shabalin', a Ropucha-class landing ship. The British Royal Navy declared on March 5 that they had intercepted the Russian ships when they entered the Channel. Though British sailors did not board the ships, they used patrol boats and helicopters to shadow the Russian ship’s passage through the Channel. It then followed a route previously identified by RFI for transporting Russian military equipment: first by sea from Russia to Conakry and then by land from Conakry to Bamako, the capital of Mali. The convoys transporting military equipment need about 17 hours to travel the 995 kilometres over land from the port of Conakry to Bamako. The 'Sabetta' is one of a fleet of Russian transport vessels that was mobilised to transport arms to the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) and a Mali-based contingent of the Africa Corps, a paramilitary group that has taken the place of the late Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group and is controlled directly by the Russian government. The 'Sabetta' is included on a list of vessels and other entities that were sanctioned by the United States State Department after Russia invaded Ukraine. Report with photos: https://nz.news.yahoo.com/russian-ship-under-sanctions-delivered-170309098.html
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