Human Rights Watch stated on Friday that aircraft controlled by the Russian government's Africa Corps killed eight civilians, including three children, during an airstrike on a village in central Mali last month.
The rights group reported that an attack aircraft identified as a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 dropped two munitions on Kyrnia village in the Mopti region on June 15. One strike impacted near the home of the village chief, resulting in the deaths of his wife and three children. The second impact struck a nearby cattle market, killing four men. No fighters from the Islamic militant group JNIM, which has controlled the village for six years, were among the casualties.
The Associated Press was unable to independently confirm the claims made by Human Rights Watch.
Mali has faced conflict for more than a decade involving militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, such as JNIM, alongside a Tuareg separatist rebellion in the north.
Violence intensified in recent months following a coordinated attack by an alliance of JNIM and Tuareg separatists. This attack targeted the airport in the capital, Bamako, the nearby garrison town of Kati, and several northern and central cities.
Attacks in April highlighted deficiencies in Mali's counter-rebellion strategy, including its reliance on Russia after distancing itself from former partners like France.
Russian mercenaries have been operating in Mali since late 2021 to assist its military junta against militants and separatists. Last year, Africa Corps, which reports to Russia’s Defense Ministry, succeeded the private mercenary Wagner Group in the country.
Human Rights Watch stated it interviewed 19 individuals, analyzed satellite imagery, and reviewed a video posted by Africa Corps online describing last month's strike as targeting a "terrorist" gathering. Researchers noted that approximately 100 JNIM fighters were present in the village at the time but were mostly located elsewhere, and the strikes did not appear to target an obvious military objective.
The rights group urged Mali’s government to investigate the strike and hold those responsible accountable, warning that failure to do so could imply complicity in war crimes.
Russia’s Defense Ministry did not issue an immediate response to a request for comment.