Military & Defense

Mali Conflict: Banned Russian Cluster Munitions Confirmed

May 26, 2026 5 min read Source: Bellingcat 4 views

Evidence suggests that Russian-manufactured cluster munition submunitions have been deployed in northern Mali, a nation that is a signatory to the international convention prohibiting such weapons. This discovery follows recent airstrikes announced by Malian forces, operating with support from Russian paramilitary groups, amid an intensifying conflict with various insurgent factions. The presence of these munitions raises significant questions about adherence to international law and the nature of foreign military assistance.

Investigations have identified unexploded submunitions, consistent with Russian-origin cluster bomb designs, in a village in Mali's northern region following military operations.
Mali is formally bound by the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the development, stockpiling, transfer, and use of these weapons due to their indiscriminate nature.
The discovery aligns with recent claims by the Malian Armed Forces regarding airstrikes targeting armed groups, where Russian-affiliated paramilitary forces are known to provide operational support.

Intelligence briefing: Why this matters: For military analysts and national security researchers, this indicates a potential violation of international humanitarian law by a state party, complicating global efforts to curb the use of indiscriminate weapons and highlighting the strategic implications of foreign military partnerships.

This investigation is a collaboration between Bellingcat and Jeune Afrique. You can read Jeune Afrique’s article in French here.

Unexploded Russian-made cluster munition bomblets, as well as damage consistent with bomblet impacts, have been found in a village in northern Mali – despite the West African country being a state party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) which prohibits their use.

The deployment of cluster munitions in northern Mali was first reported by Radio France International last week, citing local sources yet without showing images of the munitions or strikes in the reporting. However, social media footage posted on May 17, and since analysed by Bellingcat and our publishing partner, Jeune Afrique, shows unexploded Russian manufactured ShOAB-0.5 submunitions (bomblets).

Bellingcat geolocated a video showing the unexploded ShOAB-0.5 bomblets in the village of Tadjmart (18.977305, 0.86072), located approximately 55-kilometers (34-miles) south of the larger town of Aguelhok in northern Mali. This matches the location of airstrikes announced by the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) on May 17. FAMa claimed it had identified armed groups in the area.

Russia’s paramilitary Africa Corps group, which is controlled by the Russian government and which replaced the Wagner mercenary group in the country, has been supporting Malian military operations.

Mali’s civil war has been ongoing since 2012. But the conflict has spiked in recent weeks as Tuareg separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and militants from the al-Qaeda affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) seized control of parts of the country in coordinated attacks against Malian and Africa Corps forces.

The footage geolocated by Bellingcat shows the unexploded submunitions near buildings, alongside multiple small craters, consistent with submunition explosions.

The buildings and landmarks visible in the footage allowed us to geolocate where it was taken.

Additional footage geolocated by Bellingcat to nearby coordinates 18.97954, 0.85989 shows destroyed and burning buildings several hundred meters away, although this damage is not consistent with cluster munition use. The damage appears more significant than that which would be caused by submunition impacts.

Cluster munitions are explosive weapons which open mid-air to release large numbers of submunitions. They are prohibited from being used by signatories of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) because they are indiscriminate, saturate a wide area and can leave behind highly volatile unexploded bomblets which can kill civilians long after deployment.

While Mali is a signatory to the CCM, Russia is not a state party to the agreement.

Brian Finucane, a senior adviser with the US Program at the International Crisis Group, told Bellingcat that as a party to the CCM, Mali is “subject to its prohibitions and requirements. These include not only prohibitions on the use of cluster munitions, but also obligations to clear and destroy such munitions on its territory.”

ShOAB-0.5 submunitions are carried by the Russian RBK-500 cluster munition dispenser. A single RBK-500 dispenser can deploy about 565 ShOAB-0.5 submunitions. There is as yet no footage posted online showing a spent dispenser linked to this incident.Footage did circulate online on May 16 showing the remnants of an RBK-500. It was claimed to have been used in a separate cluster munition strike in the Timbuktu region of Mali. However, this footage was not geolocatable, given it only shows a close up of the dispenser at night, nor was it possible to tell when the footage was taken.

A second video appears to show the same dispenser, but shows the side with visible Russian markings denoting the model: “РБК-500; ШОАБ-0.5; ТГ-30”. This identifies the dispenser, RBK-500, the submunition inside, ShOAB-0.5, and the explosive filler, TG-30.

RBK-500 dispensers are deployed by Russian-made aircraft including several MiG and Su models. According to the 2024 IISS Military Balance report, Mali does not have any known operational Russian fixed-wing attack aircraft. Two Russian Su-25 aircraft delivered to Mali – one in 2022 and another in 2023 – are reported to have crashed and been out of service since late 2023.

An Su-24M model has since appeared in satellite imagery captured at Modibo Keita International Airport in Bamako. The imagery was first published by France 24 in April 2025, although it was unclear if this aircraft was, or has been, operated by Africa Corps or Malian forces.

Bellingcat contacted the Malian military and Russian Ministry of Defence requesting comment, and asking which force was responsible for deploying cluster munitions. We did not receive a substantive response by publication time beyond the initial statement made by the MAFa which detailed it was responsible for the May 17 strike.

A video posted on May 17, by an account linked to Azawad rebels in Northern Mali, shows a person handling components of a ShOAB-0.5 submunition, seemingly unaware of the danger. However, as the video shows only a close up of the submunition, it has not been possible to geolocate the video or confirm when it was taken.

The FLA condemned the use of cluster munitions in a statement published on May 18.

Bellingcat has ly reported on the use of cluster munitions in Syria and Ukraine and the danger they pose to civilians.

Youri van der Weide contributed to this report.

Analysis

The confirmed deployment of prohibited cluster munitions underscores the escalating brutality of the Malian conflict and the increasing disregard for international norms in proxy warfare scenarios. This incident could further isolate Mali on the global stage, while also reflecting the evolving tactics and armaments supplied by Russia's paramilitary extensions in Africa. It presents a serious challenge to the integrity of disarmament treaties and the protection of civilian populations in war zones.

malicluster munitionsrussiaafrica corpswar crimesmilitary intelligenceosint

📰 Primary Source: Bellingcat