Russian Military Advisers and Equipment Arrive in Niger Amidst US Troop Withdrawal and Tensions with France
Russia has deployed around 100 military advisers and air defense systems to Niger, along with additional military equipment and instructors, according to Nigerien state television and the Africa Corps, a Russian paramilitary group.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that Russian troops are now stationed at an air base near Niamey Airport, which also houses US troops.
On Saturday, it was reported that additional trainers, equipment, and food supplies had arrived for US troops in Niger.
However, tensions rose when US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revealed that Russian troops had taken up position at a Nigerien airbase close to the Niamey airport, where US troops are also stationed.
In response to this development, Niger's military regime, which came to power in a coup in July 2023, expelled French troops and denounced a military cooperation agreement with the US, which they claimed had been imposed on them without their consent.
The US had previously agreed to withdraw around 1,000 soldiers from the country, and negotiations are currently underway regarding the withdrawal.
The United States operates a drone base near Agadez, Niger, which cost approximately $100 million.
Niger's military leaders have recently aligned closer to Russia, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, both dealing with military coup leaders and fighting Al-Qaeda and Daesh-affiliated rebel groups.
In April, the head of a private Nigerien newspaper, L’Enqueteur, Idrissa Soumana Maiga, was imprisoned following an article suggesting the presence of Russian listening devices in official buildings.