MOSCOW, April 30. /TASS/. Units of Russia’s Africa Corps successfully thwarted a "Syrian scenario" coup attempt in Mali, military analyst Boris Rozhin has told TASS.

"Initially, the militants aimed to paralyze Mali’s armed forces by attacking key centers across the country, hoping to replicate the ‘Syrian scenario’ that led to the collapse of the Syrian Arab Army and Bashar al-Assad’s government at the end of 2024. However, their plan unraveled on the very first day, largely due to the resistance mounted by Russia’s Africa Corps, which inflicted significant losses on the enemy," Rozhin explained.

He noted that most major urban centers remained under Malian government control, and the militants failed to execute their strategy of swiftly seizing the entire nation.

"Despite extensive training and propaganda efforts by European media, the militants’ victory march never materialized. It also became evident that the local population, especially in southern Mali, was unwilling to accept Sharia law. Dozens of militants who failed to retreat were lynched by angry residents, effectively thwarting the insurgents’ strategic objectives," Rozhin added.

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that illegal armed groups attempted a coup in Mali on April 25. Units of the Africa Corps prevented the uprising and minimized civilian casualties. The militants suffered over 2,500 casualties and lost 102 vehicles. It was also revealed that the militants’ training for the coup was conducted with the assistance of Ukrainian and European mercenary instructors.