C4ADS ADS-B data logs 75 Russian military flights to Sahel states Jan 2025-Jul 2026
C4ADS tracked 75 Russian military-linked flights to the Sahel using ADS-B data, with Flight Unit 224 dominant and routes through Syria and Libya. The flights sustain operations despite sanctions, highlighting gaps in coverage of private carriers and Algerian transit hubs.
C4ADS analysis of FlightRadar24 ADS-B records identified 56 flights to Burkina Faso, 38 to Mali and six to Niger between January 2025 and July 2026. The busiest operator, Flight Unit 224, a Ministry of Defense airline sanctioned in 2023, flew repeatedly into Ouagadougou and Bamako. The Russian Special Flight Squadron and EMERCOM each contributed over a dozen sorties, with EMERCOM previously tied to arms movements in Syria and Iran.
ADS-B gaps and possible transponder manipulation limit certainty, yet consistent patterns emerge: state aircraft refuel at Khmeimim and Al-Khadim while private carriers transit commercial airports in the UAE, Algeria and Türkiye. Burkina Faso’s volume reflects its role as a transit node amid intensified JNIM and ISGS attacks. Earlier Defense News reporting documented a parallel Algerian corridor delivering fighter jets and onward logistics.
The data reveals a resilient air bridge sustaining Russian forces in the Sahel after Wagner rebranding. Continued use of unsanctioned Kyrgyz-registered carriers and growing Togo-Algeria routing indicate operators are adapting to sanctions pressure rather than halting operations.
Additional scrutiny of Algerian and Togolese overflights is required. Procurement records and satellite imagery of Libyan forward operating locations should be cross-checked against future ADS-B spikes to confirm whether the network expands before year-end.
C4ADS: Sapsan Airlines flights to Sahel exceed 30 by December 2026 if Algerian routing remains unsanctioned.
Sources (2)
- [1]Primary Source(https://c4ads.org/reports/russian-sahel-air-bridge-2026)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2026/08/13/flight-tracking-data-shows-continued-russian-air-bridge-to-sub-saharan-africa/)