Russia says its forces helped repel an attempted coup in Niger.
On Saturday night, explosions and gunfire erupted across Niamey, the capital of Niger, at the presidential palace and a key military airbase. Russian officials, through the Ministry of Defence’s African Corps, confirmed that its personnel supported Nigerien soldiers in curbing the uprising. By the afternoon the rebellion was contained, and state media showed the arrest of suspected mutineers by the Presidential Guard.
Niger’s new military president, General Abdourahmane Tiani, has yet to publicly address the incident, but the government reiterated that the situation has returned to normal. Commercial activity resumed, with petrol stations and shops reopening, while supporters of the government gathered in central Niamey to salute security forces.
The airbase attacked, Air Base 101, sits within the Diori Hamani airport complex. It hosts Niger’s military aircraft, drones and the Sahel Alliance counter‑terrorism unit. Russian and Italian forces are also stationed there. The Sahel countries, having severed ties with Western partners, have turned progressively to Moscow for security cooperation, though jihadist attacks continue to beset the region.
