Russia Confirms Role in Repelling Islamist Attack on Niger’s Niamey Airport
Russia has confirmed that its forces were directly involved in repelling a militant assault on Niger’s main airport in the capital, Niamey, marking a rare public acknowledgement of Moscow’s on-the-ground military activity in the Sahel.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Russian foreign ministry said the attack was thwarted through joint action by Nigerien forces and Russia’s African Corps, a unit operating under the Russian Defence ministry. The assault, which took place last week, was later claimed by the Islamic State group and targeted facilities at the airport, which also hosts a military base.
Earlier, Niger's ruling military authorities described the attack as an unusual strike on the capital and said that "Russian partners" assisted in countering it. Nigerien officials reported the death of approximately 20 attackers and the wounding of four members of the country's armed forces.
“The attack was repelled through the joint efforts of the African Corps of the Russian Ministry of Defence and the Nigerien armed forces,” the Russian foreign ministry said, adding that Moscow “strongly condemns this latest extremist attack”.
The statement followed comments by Niger’s junta leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, who later visited a Russian military base in the country. During the visit, he expressed what Moscow described as his “personal gratitude” to Russian personnel for their professionalism.
The attack has also heightened regional tensions. Niger’s authorities accused neighbouring Benin, as well as France and the Ivory Coast, of supporting the militants behind the airport assault. Those countries have not responded publicly to the allegations.
Russia has generally remained tight-lipped about its expanding security role in the Sahel, despite a growing footprint across parts of West and Central Africa. The confirmation of involvement in Niamey stands out as one of the clearest statements to date linking Russian forces to active combat operations in the region.
Moscow’s influence in the Sahel has expanded rapidly recently, particularly following a series of military takeovers in countries such as Niger and Burkina Faso that have strained relations with Western governments. Facing diplomatic isolation from Europe and the United States over its war in Ukraine, Russia has sought to deepen political, military and economic ties across Africa.
Russian military personnel or instructors have been reported in several African states, including Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Libya and Equatorial Guinea. The African Corps has effectively replaced the Wagner paramilitary group, which previously spearheaded much of Russia’s security engagement on the continent.
According to Russian officials, the corps’ mandate includes assisting local forces in counter-terrorism operations and bolstering what Moscow describes as regional stability.
Niger has been battling jihadist violence for more than a decade, particularly in its western and southeastern regions. Armed groups linked to al-Qaeda, including the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, as well as the Islamic State in the Sahel, have carried out repeated attacks on military and civilian targets.
While the assault on Niamey’s airport was swiftly repelled, analysts say it underlines both the persistent threat posed by Islamist militants and the increasingly internationalised nature of security operations in the Sahel — with Russia now playing a more visible role.
