Russia: Goïta Takes Part in Military Demonstration and Tries Shooting During Moscow Visit

During a visit to Moscow for the third Russia-Africa Summit on October 28–29, 2026, Mali’s transition president, Assimi Goïta, toured the Russian armed forces’ Patriot Park with General Andrei Averyanov. After a demonstration of close-protection exercises and weapons training, Goïta tried shooting himself, firing a rifle four times. He arrived in Moscow on October 26 and met Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on October 30, as Moscow and Bamako prepared new cooperation agreements. Russian military support to Mali, underway since late 2021, includes training, equipment deliveries and technical assistance, and was estimated to have reached nearly $900 million by December 2025.