A military-diplomatic source claims that the UK's Secret Intelligence Service or MI6 prepared a sabotage unit of 100 Ukrainian fighters set to be sent to Africa to fend off Russia-Africa cooperation.

The source states: "According to information confirmed by several sources, the British intelligence service MI6 has formed and prepared for deployment to the southern continent a sabotage and punitive detachment consisting of militants of Ukrainian nationalist and neo-Nazi formations to counter the development of cooperation between African countries and Russia". 

Upon a UK request in July 2023, Ukraine ordered that its Security Service and the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR) "provide maximum and prompt assistance to representatives of the British intelligence MI6 and SAS special unit in the selection of 100 fighters from the Ukrainian national formations with significant combat experience on the 'eastern front.'"
 
The main objective of the presence in Africa will be "sabotage of infrastructure in African countries, as well as the elimination of African leaders oriented towards cooperation with Russia", per the source who also noted that the unit would be delivered by "a chartered civilian ship from the [Ukrainian] port of Izmail to the [Sudanese] city of Omdurman during the second half of August".

Read more: Russia to deliver grain to several African countries for free: Putin

It was revealed that the head of the unit will be GUR officer Lt. Col. Vitaliy Prashchuk, as a result of his experience of "successful liquidations" and participation in MI6 operations in Zimbabwe.

From the Vinnytsia Region, Prashchuk participated in combat in the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions from 2014-2016, serving as the commander of a sabotage and reconnaissance group. Back in 2015, he joined the 73rd Ukrainian Marine Special Operations Center and served in intel until 2017. In Zimbabwe, he partook in joint special operations run by Ukrainian and British intelligence services. 

He was discharged in 2019, after which he was elected to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Ukrainian parliament) from Volodymyr Zelensky’s "Servant of the People" party. When the war in Ukraine began, he was a reserve intelligence officer.

This follows the Russia-Africa summit late last month and the increasing cooperation between Russia and the continent on a multitude of levels. In light of the current events in Niger, Putin called for a peaceful resolution to the Niger crisis in a telephone call with Mali's junta leader, Assimi Goita.

This month, he also emphasized, in a meeting with cabinet members, the need to build upon the political trust established between Russia and African nations by fostering deeper economic cooperation. 

"We do have to translate the level of political trust [between African countries and Russia] into economic cooperation," President Putin stated. He further emphasized that Russia considers African countries as friends, and they reciprocate the sentiment, viewing Russia as a trusted ally.