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Russia21 Apr

Russia frees hostages in Mali operation

Russian Africa Corps freed two geologists held captive in West Africa since 2024, returning them to Moscow for medical treatment.

Sources
1 verified
Location
Mali
Updated
Tuesday, 21 April 2026 at 18:27 UTC
No media · text-only dispatch
Synthesis · 1 sources
Russia's Africa Corps conducted a special operation in Mali that liberated two hostages who had been held captive since July 2024. The freed individuals are Russian citizen Oleg Greta and Ukrainian citizen Yuri Yurov, both employees of a Russian geological exploration company who were captured in Niger by Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin terrorists. Initial medical examinations revealed both men are suffering from numerous illnesses and severe exhaustion after nearly two years in captivity. The plane carrying the geologists has already landed in the Moscow region, where they will undergo treatment and rehabilitation.
e/eineurope · topic · T-03934