Crew of Downed Russian Mi-8 in Mali Identified, Major Who Served in Syria Among Dead — UNITED24 Media

The crew of a Russian Mi-8AMTSh helicopter shot down in northern Mali in April has been identified, according to information published by OSINT researcher Qalaat Al Mudiq on May 30.

According to Qalaat Al Mudiq, the aircraft was operated by Major Andrey Kondratyev, the crew commander, and Captain Dmitry Lobanov, who served as the second pilot. Both were killed when the helicopter was brought down near the city of Gao on April 25 during fighting involving the Front for the Liberation of Azawad (FLA).

Qalaat Al Mudiq reported that Lobanov served with Russia’s 112th Independent Helicopter Regiment based in Chita, in Russia’s Zabaykalsky region. The researcher also noted that Kondratyev had previously served in Syria, making him one of the first publicly identified Russian officers with combat experience from that campaign to be confirmed killed in Mali.

Reports of the helicopter’s loss first emerged on April 25, when images circulating online appeared to show thick black smoke rising from the crash site. At the time, no visual confirmation of the aircraft itself was available.

On April 26, Russian military aviation blogger Ilya Tumanov, who runs the Fighterbomber channel, acknowledged the loss of the helicopter. He attributed the incident to what he described as an “external fire impact,” suggesting the aircraft had been struck by an air defense weapon. According to Tumanov, the entire crew and troops on board were killed.

The incident occurred amid a major escalation in northern Mali. Earlier reporting indicated that forces of the Front for the Liberation of Azawad had intensified operations against Malian government troops and Russian personnel associated with the so-called African Corps.

According to previous reports, Russian personnel and Malian forces subsequently withdrew from the military base at Aguelhok, one of several strategic positions abandoned following pressure from Tuareg rebel groups and jihadist factions.

Before the fighting intensified on April 25, the base reportedly housed around 100 members of the African Corps and approximately 400 Malian soldiers.

In early May, Russian personnel and Malian government forces also left the northern base of Tessalit near the Algerian border. The installation has long served as a strategic military hub due to its location and its 2,500-meter runway, which is capable of supporting helicopters and large transport aircraft, including C-130 Hercules, A400M, and Il-76 aircraft.