A failed military uprising in Niger on 29 August has laid bare how deeply President Abdourahamane Tchiani's government relies on Russian support, after approximately 200 Russian Africa Corps soldiers helped loyalist forces retake a key airbase during a coordinated assault by rebel troops on strategic sites in the capital, Niamey. At least 27 people were killed and around 100 mutineers arrested; analysts say the revolt reflected deep grievances within the army, including unequal pay and the heavier battlefield exposure faced by lower-ranking soldiers compared with better-protected presidential guard units. The episode also strained the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) — a confederation of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, all governed by military juntas — as Niger's partners offered little meaningful assistance during the crisis, while unverified allegations emerged linking the plot to associates of deposed former president Mohamed Bazoum and, according to statements aired on state television, to individuals connected to the United Arab Emirates.