ALBAWABA - A special CNN investigation revealed Ukrainian special services were likely behind a series of drone strikes and a ground operation directed against a Wagner-backed militia near Sudan’s capital Khartoum, implying that the effect of Russia's invasion of Ukraine has reached well beyond the frontlines.
The operation included a series of attacks against the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is believed to be receiving assistance from Wagner, the Russian mercenary outfit, in its war for control of the country against the Sudanese Armed Forces.
Ukrainian military source spoke to CNN, describing the operation as the work of a "non-Sudanese military". Despite being questioned on whether Kyiv had any ties to the attacks, he only said that "Ukrainian special services were likely responsible".
Despite the fact that CNN was not able to independently confirm Ukraine’s involvement in the series of strikes, they were able to obtain videos that revealed the hallmarks of Ukrainian-style drone attacks.
At least eight of the airstrikes held the mark of two commercially available drones widely used by Ukrainians. Additionally, experts stated that the tactics used – namely the pattern of drones swooping directly into their target – were highly unusual in Sudan and the wider African region.
Ukrainians have yet to officially claim responsibility for the alleged attacks which were captured in the drone attacks. Yet videos of the operations have been circulating the internet, which has not been previously published.
The videos, which alternate between the pilot's perspective, the perspective of a drone observing from above, and the controller's perspective, portray a series of drone strikes in and around Omdurman, a city across the Nile River from Khartoum that has become a focal point of fighting between the two rival factions.
CNN was able to geolocate the locations of the small-scale attacks and ground operations visible in the drone videos, but it was unable to independently verify the dates. Several hits on the Shambat bridge, which connects Omdurman and Khartoum, appeared to correspond with local social media accounts of an attack on September 8.
A Sudanese Military source said that he does not believe that the videos are true and has "no knowledge of a Ukrainian operation in Sudan".
According to another high-level Sudanese source, the strikes came just two days after Wagner allowed a big armament convoy to Sudan via an RSF base in al-Zurug, in the country's southwest near the border with Chad.
The powerful Russian mercenary company has played a public and essential part in Moscow's international military efforts, most notably in Ukraine, and has been accused of atrocities on numerous occasions. It contributed to Moscow's expanding influence and resource seizing in Africa.
