BBC stated this in an article, Ukrinform reports.

Photo:  Vantor

In verified video broadcast by Malian state television on July 25, a large column of armored vehicles could be seen arriving in the capital, Bamako.

Photo: Vantor

Reporters said the armored convoy departed from the port of Lomé in Togo.

According to vessel-tracking data, the Russian sanctioned cargo ship Mikhail Britnev docked in Lomé on July 9.

Experts say satellite images show the ship carrying trucks, armored personnel carriers, and light infantry vehicles that were later seen in Bamako.

Photo: Marine Traffic

Vessel-tracking data show that Mikhail Britnev left the Russian port of Baltiysk on June 18 and moved through the North Sea before entering the English Channel.

According to BBC Verify, the ship was escorted through the English Channel by a Russian warship of the Ropucha class.

The UK Ministry of Defence declined to comment.

Read also:Ukrainian intelligence intercepts Russian commander discussing use of African and Middle Eastern mercenaries

Experts said these deliveries show that the Kremlin is doubling down on its support for Mali’s ruling junta, which has been weakened after a successful offensive led by the jihadist group JNIM (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin) and Tuareg rebels. The offensive resulted in the capture of large areas in the north.

As Ukrinform reported, a military convoy with more than 200 Russian mercenaries, as well as local fighters, came under fire in northern Mali.

First photo is illustrative