A Russian cargo ship under US sanctions, the Sabetta, has delivered a consignment of armoured military vehicles to Mali by sailing from Kaliningrad (a Russian Baltic enclave) to Conakry, Guinea, before the equipment was transported overland to the Malian capital, Bamako. Satellite imagery and open-source tracking confirmed the vessel's journey in late February and March 2026, during which it was shadowed by the British Royal Navy through the English Channel. The shipment included Chinese-made CS/VP14 and CS/VN9 armoured vehicles produced by manufacturer Norinco, as well as Russian-made BMP-3, TIGR, and VPK-Oural vehicles, believed to be destined for Mali's armed forces and the Africa Corps, a Kremlin-controlled paramilitary group operating in the country, potentially to secure the capital and protect Russian mining interests.