By Two men claiming to be Russian nationals appeared in a video published by an al-Qaeda-affiliated media platform, stating they were taken captive in Niger by militants linked to the extremist group.
The video, released on the az-Zallaqa platform on Friday, showed the men, who said they were seized by militants while working in Baga, northeastern Niger.
Seated side by side and dressed in traditional local clothing, the men spoke to the camera. One identified himself as Yury, stating he is a geologist working for a Russian company when arrested by JNIM, the al-Qaeda affiliate in the region. The other man gave his name, which was harder to make out, and said he’d been in Niger for a month.
The Associated Press could not independently verify the video’s authenticity or the date it was filmed. The men, speaking in English, did not specify when they had been detained.
This is reportedly the first known sighting of the men. If their account is confirmed, they would be the first Russians in the Sahel believed to be kidnapped by jihadists, despite increasing Russian presence across the region.
Russia has increased its involvement in West Africa amidst deteriorating relations between the West and coup-affected Sahel nations. Wagner, a shadowy Russian mercenary group, has been active in the Sahel — the vast expanse south of the Sahara Desert — as the mercenaries profit from seized mineral riches in exchange for their security services.
Niger, in particular, has shifted away from Western partners, notably France and the United States, instead turning to Russia for security. In April, Niger hired Wagner mercenaries to reinforce the country’s air defenses.
This hostage video emerges shortly after an al-Qaeda claim of responsibility for an attack that dealt Wagner its deadliest blow in recent years, with at least 50 people killed in Mali. At least two Russians were taken captive by rebels, who were pushing into Niger.
