Russia has attracted the "African Corps" units for the offensive in Kharkiv region - Britain intelligence
The reported that the African Corps of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation was established in December 2023. It has more than 2000 soldiers and officers, as well as experienced mercenaries who previously served in Wagner PEC. Earlier, the British reports, the African Corps units were more likely to be deployed in Syria, Libya, Burkina-Faso and Nigeri.
"The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation almost certainly transferred units of the" African Corps "to the Ukrainian border in April 2024 as part of preparation for this offensive. It is likely that Russia increases its war against Ukraine with troops that were previously in Africa," - wrote. In 2023, Vedomosti wrote that the Russian Federation formed the "African Corps" to replace the structures of the Wagner PEC, which operated on the African continent before.
The structure was planned to be completed by the summer of 2024. The African Corps had Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, Central African and Niger. The new structure is reported directly to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, it is overseen by the Deputy Minister of Defense, Colonel-General Yunus-Beck Yevkurov. According to the interlocutor of the publication, AK was formed on the basis of units of the former PEC "Wagner" and individual fighters who left the organization.
The process of creating the structure began after the death of the founder of the PEC Yevgeny Prigogine in August 2023. Military experts noted that AK offered not only the protection, or the services of instructors, but also a "unique product" capable of military operations. It is interesting that the official Kremlin does not deny that it cooperates with African countries, but does not comment on the activities of the African Corps.
At the beginning of 2024, when 100 mercenaries of the corps went to Burkina-Faso, Peskov refused to comment on reporters that the Russian military would protect the president of this country. "I will not comment on this information, leave it without comments. As for our relations with Burkin-Faso, we intend to develop them. We are interested in developing these relationships, and in all possible areas," Putin's presssecretic replied.