Airstrikes on Kyrnia Village Kill Civilians

On a market day in Kyrnia, a village in Mali’s Mopti region, an aircraft identified by two Malian military sources as a Russian-operated Sukhoi Su-24 dropped two large munitions. The first strike hit the area outside the village chief’s residence, killing two of his children, his wife and another child and injuring a woman. The second strike hit a nearby cattle market, killing four men and injuring several others. Human Rights Watch documented eight civilian fatalities — three children, a 24-year-old woman and four men — and multiple injuries, noting that no Islamist armed-group fighters were reported among the dead. Satellite imagery from June 25 2026 shows two craters about 12 metres wide at the strike sites, confirming the use of large air-delivered munitions.

Human Rights Watch

Since the coups of 2020 and 2021, Mali’s junta, led by Gen. Assimi Goïta, expelled French and United Nations forces and deepened cooperation with Russia. The Wagner Group, rebranded as the “Africa Corps” after founder Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death in 2023, has operated Su-24 aircraft in Mali since at least April 2025. The Russian foreign ministry acknowledged in June that Russian personnel were working with Malian forces following JNIM attacks on April 25. The Africa Corps publicly claimed a successful strike on a “gathering place of terrorist groups” on June 15, but HRW found no evidence that the Kyrnia attacks targeted specific military objectives.

Human Rights Watch

HRW interviewed 19 witnesses between June 24 and July 14, reviewed a video posted by the Africa Corps, and analyzed satellite imagery. Witnesses described a low-flying fighter jet, a “fireball” bomb, and thick black smoke. A cowherder reported a man whose arms were torn apart by bomb fragments; the victim died the next day. The village chief’s pickup truck, similar to those used by JNIM, was parked outside his home, and three of his sons are JNIM fighters, though they were not present during the strikes.

Human Rights Watch

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that its forces used Su-24s to strike militants. She added that “the Malian government cannot hide behind laws-of-war violations committed by their Russian allies.” HRW sent a letter to the Russian defense minister on July 22 but received no response.

Human Rights Watch

• “Russian government-controlled Africa Corps aircraft have killed civilians in a Malian village in seeming disregard for the laws of war,” — Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch

• “It made several rounds over the village before leaving.” — Kyrnia. Witnesses, civil society members, community leaders, Malian military sources, and local journalists

Human Rights Watch

• “The Malian government cannot hide behind laws-of-war violations committed by their Russian allies,” — Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch

These statements underscore the civilian toll and the legal concerns raised by the airstrikes.

Human Rights Watch