Loading of a Russian Il-76 Recorded in Burkina Faso

On the night of December 14, 2025, a Russian military transport aircraft Il-76 with registration number RF-78803 was spotted at the airport of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

This was reported by Casus Belli in X and published a photo of the plane on the airport runway.

According to the available information, there were about 50 Russian servicemen near the plane.

Probably, these are representatives of the so-called “African Corps” of Russia.

The source also reports that the plane was being loaded at the time, which may indicate that it was being prepared for departure.

According to preliminary estimates, the event may be related to the rotation of personnel or adjustments to the number of Russian forces in the country.

In contrast to Mali, the Russian military presence in Burkina Faso is much smaller and is estimated at about 200 people.

The further destination of the plane and the nature of the cargo remain unknown.

As a reminder, Moscow recently agreed to provide military assistance to the military juntas of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.