MOSCOW, July 17. /TASS/. Ukrainian military personnel are present in a number of African countries where they are attempting to open a "second front" against Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko told TASS.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a news conference earlier that the West, with the help of militants from Ukraine, is attempting to undermine Russia’s relations with countries in the Sahara-Sahel region.

"Yes, that’s true," Borisenko said, answering a question about whether Ukrainians have recently become more active in Africa. "Ukrainian military personnel are present in a number of African countries and are openly attempting to create a second front against Russia there. This applies in particular to Mali, where Ukrainian instructors, including those trained in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, are present in the ranks of the Islamist militants. I'm also referring to Libya, where Ukrainian instructors, allegedly training local troops in the use of UAVs, used unmanned boats against the Russian tanker Arctic Metagaz, which was damaged on March 3 of this year and is still drifting in the Mediterranean," the senior diplomat noted.

The deputy minister added that Ukrainian mercenaries have also been spotted in a number of other countries. "This includes Sudan, where they participated in the capture of the city of El Fasher last November as part of the rebel Rapid Support Forces, where a significant number of civilians were subsequently killed," Borisenko noted.