Niger Junta Crushes Armed Mutiny, Retakes Key Airbase with Russian Drone and Troop Support

The Nigerien military government has regained full control of its capital, Niamey, after loyalist troops—backed by Russian paramilitary forces—crushed a major mutiny and recaptured the country’s main military airbase.

The violent uprising erupted in the dead of night when hundreds of renegade soldiers launched coordinated attacks on high-profile targets across the city. Fighting broke out around the presidential palace in the Plateau district before mutineers moved in on Diori Hamani International Airport and seized control of Air Force Base 101, taking several military personnel hostage and forcing the state television broadcaster off the air.

With the rebel soldiers refusing to surrender and holding out inside the fortified airbase, Niger’s Presidential Guard launched a counter-offensive with direct combat assistance from Russia’s Africa Corps. Military and diplomatic sources revealed that Russian personnel deployed ground tactical support alongside kamikaze drone strikes, targeting rebel positions within the base and overpowering the mutineers.

Following hours of intense firefights, government forces reclaimed the base, arrested dozens of mutinous soldiers, and neutralized several others. Niger’s Defence Ministry confirmed that loyalist units had restored calm across all sensitive areas, with armored vehicles and security patrols deployed along major city arteries to maintain order.

While authorities affirmed that the situation in Niamey is completely under control, security experts warn that the mutiny exposes growing cracks within the armed forces. Frustration has been mounting among frontline soldiers over battlefield losses and the ongoing struggle against Islamist insurgent groups across the Sahel, creating fresh security hurdles for the ruling administration.