The Russian Afrika Korps (AK) and the Malian Armed Forces have lost control of the city of Anefis as a result of a rebel offensive. A group of Russian soldiers was captured near Gao Airport, and the Russian embassy is evacuating its personnel. Gao itself has been almost completely captured by the attackers, with fighting continuing near the Firhoun Ag Alensar military camp. Aguelhoké and Sevare have also been attacked.
The Afrika Korps was also forced to retreat and negotiate with the rebels for the withdrawal of troops from their bases during the April 2026 offensive.
As a reminder, in Africa, the Afrika Korps, which in reality is financed and subordinate to oligarch Gennady Timchenko, has almost completely replaced the Wagner PMC. The corps is led by Timchenko's man, Konstantin Mirzayants, a highly distinguished figure. According to sources at the Cheka-OGPU and Rucriminal.info, he is involved in at least seven high-profile murders, the most notorious of which was the bombing of Moskovsky Komsomolets journalist Dmitry Kholodov. Before returning to the Ministry of Defense, he served as the head of security for Sergei Lalakin (Luchok), the leader of the Podolsk organized crime group.
Then, fate brought Mirzayants, the perpetrator of violent actions, together with Gennady Timchenko. The latter, along with his friend Sergei Shoigu (they meet for drinks at least a couple of times a week), created their own "private club," calling it the "Russian Geographical Society." It has become something like Boris Berezovsky's LogoVAZ Reception House—a venue for high-level decision-making. Putin was once involved in the activities of the Russian Geographical Society. As a result, Timchenko, through Shoigu, revived Mirzayants' military career, and he now heads the Afrika Korps.
According to a source, Deputy Minister Timur Ivanov previously handled many AK matters. During his African trips with Yevkurov, Ivanov "squeezed" Wagner PMC assets not for the benefit of the Ministry of Defense, but directly for the benefit of Timchenko and his AK.
This occurred with the direct support of Minister Sergei Shoigu. However, after Ivanov was jailed and Shoigu resigned, Timchenko and his AK's fortunes significantly declined. The new Defense Minister, Andrei Belousov, is, to put it mildly, unwilling to support the AK. Therefore, Timchenko is forced to seek support through his friends. In particular, Tatarstan's head, Rustam Minnikhanov, has made the republic the main recruiting center for the AK.
