Malian Junta Receives Batch of Turkish Bayraktar AKINCI Strike Drones

A ceremony was held in Mali to hand over modern Turkish Bayraktar AKINCI drones to the junta’s forces.

The Malian junta’s forces announced this on their Facebook page.

The command of the Malian junta’s forces did not specify the number of UAVs received. However, a report on the country’s state television showed three drones equipped with small, high-precision MAM-L laser-guided munitions and MAM-T glide bombs manufactured by the Turkish company Roketsan.

This is already the third known shipment of AKINCI UAVs delivered to the Malian junta forces.

The Bayraktar AKINCI is a Turkish heavy unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Baykar. The drone has a maximum takeoff weight of 6 metric tons, a payload capacity of up to 1,350 kg, and a range exceeding 4,300 km.

Previous deliveries took place in November 2024 and February 2026.

Based on the drones’ serial numbers, it can be assumed that the country has received a total of eight such drones.

Support for the junta

In 2022, Militarnyi reported on the transfer of the first Bayraktar TB2 drones to Mali. At that time, the country became the fifth in West Africa to acquire drones from Baykar.

Countries in Central and West Africa have become new markets for Turkish weapons following the withdrawal of the French military presence from the region.

French armed forces were stationed in Mali from 2013 to 2022 as part of Operations Serval and Barkhane, countering Islamist groups, particularly those linked to ISIS, that were attempting to seize power in the country.

At the same time, political support for military juntas, access to natural resources, and arms supplies make countries in the region attractive to Russia and China as well. Recently, a Russian ship subject to sanctions delivered a large shipment of weapons to Mali via Togo. Among the delivered equipment are BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, Tigr armored vehicles, and Chinese VP11 armored vehicles.

These deliveries indicate increased support from the Kremlin for Mali’s ruling junta, which has found itself in a difficult position due to a successful offensive by a coalition of rebels — including the jihadist JNIM group and Tuareg forces—and has lost control over a significant portion of the country’s territory.