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Components of Ukrainian-made drones found on sale at Mali market — portal

More and more often, terrorist groups use drones against the country's government troops

PRETORIA, May 28. /TASS/. Components of Ukrainian-made unmanned aerial vehicles were discovered at a market in north Mali, according to the Bamada.net news portal, headquartered in the country’s capital Bamako.

The portal published a photo of a market stall with spools of optical fiber used for FPV drone guidance. They are marked with the logo of Ukrainian manufacturer 3DTech. These components of drone guidance systems are in service with the Ukrainian military.

The seller said these items were found among belongings of killed militants from an al-Qaeda-affiliated militant organization, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM). Al-Qaeda is designated as a terrorist organization and outlawed in Russia.

The discovery was made near the town of Tessalit in northeastern Mali, which saw clashes between government forces and militants lately. More and more often, terrorist groups use drones against the country's government troops.

In August 2024, the Republic of Mali severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine because of Kiev’s support for terrorists active on the African country’s territory. African media regularly report about the presence of Ukrainian mercenaries in the Sahel region, which includes Mali, and about arms smuggling operations between Sahel region countries and Ukraine.