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Le Monde: Russian mercenary group leaves Burkina Faso to defend Russia’s Kursk Oblast

Le Monde reports that the Russian private military company Bear Brigade, which arrived in Burkina Faso in May to protect the junta, is now withdrawing to defend the Kursk region against a Ukrainian offensive.
byYuri Zoria
30/08/2024
2 minute read
Burkina Faso and Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin with Burkina Faso’s interim President Ibrahim Traore during a meeting following the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 29, 2023. Credit: Sputnik Africa
Le Monde: Russian mercenary group leaves Burkina Faso to defend Russia’s Kursk Oblast

Le Monde says the so-called “Bears Brigade,” which is linked to the Russian Defense Ministry, arrived in Burkina Faso in May 2024. Their primary mission was to provide security for the junta that currently rules the West African nation, including personal protection for its leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.

Ukraine started its invasion of Russia’s Kursk Oblast on 6 August to create a buffer zone near the border for protecting Sumy Oblast from Russian shelling, and to keep Russian troops away from the frontlines within Ukraine. Russia did not withdraw any significant number of troops from Donetsk Oblast, where it continues to advance using frontal attack tactics, leveraging its numerical advantage.

According to Le Monde, some 100 mercenaries are now leaving Burkina Faso just three months after their arrival. The official reason given for their departure is to join the Russian defense efforts against a Ukrainian offensive launched on 6 August in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

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The group’s commander, Viktor Yermolaev, who calls himself “Jedi,” confirmed the withdrawal to Le Monde on August 22, and five days later, the brigade’s Telegram channel explicitly stated that they were “returning to Crimea” due to recent events, with their base camp located in Perevalne, occupied Crimea.

While Yermolaev claims the “Bears Brigade” has “no connection with the Russian Ministry of Defense,” Le Monde reports that there are verified contacts with some of its officials. On 5 April 2023, Yunus-bek Yevkurov, the Russian Deputy Minister of Defense who currently oversees the Kremlin’s entire military apparatus on the African continent, personally visited the Perevalne camp to offer his support.

According to a Western source, the departure of the Bear Brigade in Burkina Faso could also be linked to internal discontent over payment problems for some of the mercenaries, but Yermolaev dismissed this reason, Le Monde says.

The group’s presence in Burkina Faso was part of a larger Russian military and paramilitary contingent, estimated to be between 200 to 300 personnel, deployed at the request of Captain Traoré following an attempted coup. Their roles included training soldiers and cooperating with intelligence services.

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