{
  "id": 6925204,
  "title": "Ukraine is fighting Russia anywhere it can – even in the deserts of Africa",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/ukraine-is-fighting-russia-anywhere-it-can-even-in-the-deserts-of",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-12T12:38:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Egypt Independent",
    "slug": "egypt-independent",
    "url": "https://www.egyptindependent.com/ukraine-is-fighting-russia-anywhere-it-can-even-in-the-deserts-of-africa/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ukraine is actively engaging in military operations across various global theaters, including Africa, in its efforts to counter Russia's influence. A group of 15 Ukrainian drone specialists has been deployed to northern Mali, a Sahel region, to support local rebel forces in their fight against Russian troops. This deployment is part of Kyiv's strategy to weaken Russia's military presence wherever it operates.\n\nThe Ukrainian Defense Intelligence revealed that Ukrainian specialists are also stationed in Sudan, and troops from Chad, Niger, and Burkina Faso have previously received drone training from Ukrainian soldiers in Mali. In the Middle East, Ukraine dispatched military experts to at least five countries to teach local forces how to counter Iranian-made Shahed drones, which Russia uses to harass Ukraine.\n\nIn the Sahel, the Ukrainian drone operators are embedded with the Azawad Liberation Front, a separatist group primarily composed of northern Tuareg rebels. The Ukrainian operators coordinate the rebels' operations remotely, using radio communications. Despite the harsh desert conditions, with temperatures often exceeding 110 degrees Fahrenheit, these Ukrainian specialists are determined to assist in the fight against Russian aggression. In exchange for sharing their expertise, Kyiv has secured security cooperation agreements and promised ammunition.",
  "summary": "The conditions are grueling. Temperatures regularly soar above 110 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, then drop sharply overnight. Water is scarce and the dust and sand get everywhere. But at least they are working above ground. This elite group of Ukrainian drone operators has spent years hunting Russians from dugouts in Ukraine. They are still … The post Ukraine is fighting Russia anywhere it…",
  "key_points": [
    "15 Ukrainian drone specialists deployed to northern Mali",
    "Ukrainian drone operators embedded with Azawad Liberation Front",
    "Security cooperation agreements and promised ammunition from Kyiv"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Voice of Ukraine",
        "title": "Two killed after Russian drone hits private home in Zaporizhzhya",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/two-killed-after-russian-drone-hits-private-home-in-zaporizhzhya",
        "published": "2026-09-12T06:59:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "3 killed in Russian strikes on Ukraine as Putin warns Europe against sending troops",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/3-killed-in-russian-strikes-on-ukraine-as-putin-warns-europe-against",
        "published": "2026-09-12T09:15:43.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Interfax-Ukraine",
        "title": "Two killed as Russian missile strikes ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/two-killed-as-russian-missile-strikes-arcelormittal-kryvyi-rih",
        "published": "2026-09-12T10:14:38.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News (US)",
        "title": "3 killed in Russian strikes on Ukraine as Putin warns Europe against sending troops",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/3-killed-in-russian-strikes-on-ukraine-as-putin-warns-europe-against-6914014",
        "published": "2026-09-12T10:33:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "At least 11 killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine as Kyiv strikes Russia's 'shadow fleet'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/at-least-11-killed-in-russian-attacks-on-ukraine-as-kyiv-strikes",
        "published": "2026-09-12T11:49:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Japan Times",
        "title": "Trump envoys arrive in Kyiv in new push to end Russia’s war",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/trump-envoys-arrive-in-kyiv-in-new-push-to-end-russias-war",
        "published": "2026-09-12T11:52:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}