A Russian Shahed Was Shot Down For The First Time In Africa

Inside, they found some interesting components.

On Monday, May 18, local rebels in Mali for the first time shot down a Russian Shahed-136 ("Harpy-A1") attack drone, which Russia used to support its mercenaries in Africa.

The Ukrainian president's commissioner for sanctions policy Vladislav Vlasiuk announced to reporters.

He noted that this is the first confirmed case of using a drone of this type in the Sahel region. The downed device is a new modification of the "KK" series, which is equipped with the function of aerial detonation of the warhead.

"Russia is increasingly actively transferring its military technology and tools of war to other regions - in particular, to Africa. And it is doing so largely at the expense of dual-use components, which continue to flow freely into Russian production," Vlasiuk said.

In the drone that was shot down in Mali, civilian electronics (microchips, transistors, diodes and relays) were found, which can be freely purchased on the open market. In particular, we are talking about parts from STMicroelectronics, as well as Chinese manufacturers:

Mornsun;

Wayon Electronics;

GigaDevice;

Shenzhen Codaca Electronic;

NCR Industrial.

The same typical electronics configuration is found in the drones that Russia is using in its war against Ukraine. The situation in Mali demonstrates how quickly civilian technology is becoming a tool for exporting war.

Vlasyuk noted that as long as the supply of such components to Russia is not tightly controlled, Russian drone production will continue to scale along with the geography of their use.

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