MOSCOW, April 27. /TASS/. The French government provided weapons to militants in Mali, while Ukrainian instructors have trained members of the militant group in the use of UAVs, RT.Doc military correspondent Alexander Kharchenko told TASS.

"Who is behind this attack? First and foremost, we should say that the French have been providing extensive support to these militant groups because they remain resentful and can't accept Russia’s new status in Africa. If you look at the militant units, they appear quite combat-ready: you can see an army-style structure, large-caliber machine guns, grenade launchers, and portable surface-to-air missile systems. In addition, I have repeatedly come across references to this, and sources on the ground have confirmed to me that Ukrainian instructors provided assistance and support in the use of drones," he said.

Kharchenko praised units of the Africa Corps, which "successfully repelled the militants’ attacks." He stressed that Russian troops had not lost a single stronghold or base under their defense.

On April 25, units of radical groups launched coordinated attacks on several cities in Mali. Sadio Camara, the minister of defense and veterans’ affairs, was killed. The Malian Armed Forces General Staff reported the same day that all militant attacks had been repelled and that the militants had suffered heavy losses. Fighting continued on April 26, primarily in the city of Kidal in the northeast of the country, as well as in areas near the cities of Gao and Sevare.