Russia May Be Involved in Violating Arms Embargo in Darfur

The circumstances surrounding the destruction of a military transport aircraft in North Darfur may point to the existence of supply channels funneling Russian weapons into Sudan. On October 22, an Il-76T was shot down in the Al Mahla region of North Darfur.

The cargo plane that was shot down in Sudan owned by a Kyrgyzstan-registered company, New Way Cargo Airlines. Bishkek’s Manas Airport stated on October 22 that the aircraft, tail number EX 76 011, had been sold to the airline earlier in 2024.

The downed aircraft, flight number: EX 76 011, belonged to the Emirati company, then in 2024 this aircraft was sold to the Egyptian company New Way Cargo Airlines and has no connection with Airline Transport Incorporation FZC in Osh. It is a part of the Air Transport Corporation. The New Way Cargo Airlines is also registered in Kyrgyzstan.

As later reported in the Foreign Ministry of the Kyrgyz Republic with reference to the State Agency for Civil Aviation, the aircraft IL-76TD with registration number EX-76011 was deleted from the registry of civilian aircraft of Kyrgyzstan on January 12, 2024 and entered the registration of Sudan.Kyrgyzstan’s Civil Aviation Agency stated that the plane had been removed from the registry of Kyrgyzstan on January 12 of this year and registered in Sudan.

The downed aircraft had Russian nationals on board, according to videos from the crash site showing documents belonging to Viktor Granov, whose death was reported by the Russian Telegram channel Mash. Sudanese media have also published images of a flight manual, indicating that the plane was operated by Kyrgyz airline New Way Cargo Airlines. The Il-76 was flying from Ras Al Khaimah International Airport in the UAE to Amjarass, a town in neighboring Chad.

We are convinced that the plane was part of an airlift sponsored by the UAE in support of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which mistakenly shot it down, believing it to be a bomber from Sudanese government forces. Back in June, Sudan’s government accused the UAE of fueling the conflict by supplying weapons to paramilitary groups. Khartoum claimed the UAE was shipping arms to the RSF multiple times a week from Chad. However, we believe these arms deliveries are facilitated with the involvement of Russian military intelligence, whose objective is to support RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, in his bid for power in Sudan, and to secure access to Sudan’s Red Sea coast for use as a Russian military base. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that Russia supplies Chad with military equipment to combat terrorism, and that cooperation between the two countries will continue.

Several media outlets, citing U.S. intelligence, have reported that the Russian private military company Wagner offered heavy weapons to RSF commander Hemedti, including man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), which were reportedly stored at Wagner’s operational base in the Central African Republic. According to a Pentagon source, Hemedti was “actively considering” the offer while awaiting a final decision. The delivery of MANPADS could enable the RSF to counter aerial attacks by Sudanese Armed Forces under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who have been conducting airstrikes across the country since April 15. The downing of the Il-76 may indicate that the RSF has already acquired these systems. The details surrounding this flight also suggest that Russia may have reverted to old arms supply schemes, using front companies linked to military intelligence—similar to the operations once run by Viktor Bout.

Evidence suggests that Viktor Granov, who is believed to have died in the crash of the aforementioned aircraft, owned an airline in Africa. In the early 2000s, Granov lived in South Africa and operated CJSC “Pilot Airlines,” which closed after a few years. He also owned Aircargo Services International Limited and Gran Propeller in Africa, as well as, possibly, Victoria Air. Reports indicate that in 2009, one of Granov’s planes, an An-12, crashed on the border with Rwanda, allegedly near Bunyakiri, where it was involved in arms deliveries to government forces.

Footage captured by militants at the crash site shows an ID card from Kyrgyzstan’s Manas International Airport. According to the document, Viktor Granov was employed by Airline Transport Incorporation FZC, a company based in the UAE. The director of its Kyrgyz branch is listed as Kubanychbek Mamakeev.

Several Kyrgyz Il-76 aircraft were involved in transporting cargo from the UAE to Amjarass (Chad), including two operated by New Way Cargo Airlines (tail numbers EX-76010 and EX-76015), with planes stationed at Ras Al Khaimah (UAE).

These aircraft completed seven known cargo flights and another 35 unidentified flights to Amjarass Airport between June 2023 and May 2024. Given the frequency of these flights, it is highly likely that military equipment was being transported.

While the UAE claims these airlifts were for humanitarian purposes, the evidence strongly suggests the cargo planes were carrying military supplies.

Documents of the JSC Manas International Airport (MIA) found on the board of the IL-76 cargo plane, which was shot down in Sudan, did not belong to an employee of the Manas airport, but to the employee of the Airline Transport Incorporation FZC company Viktor Granov.

The Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in Saudi Arabia requested information about the incident through diplomatic channels. According to preliminary reports, no citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic were on the board of the crashed plane, the Foreign Ministry reports.

The death of Anton Selivanets, a Russian aircraft engineer, has been confirmed following the downing of a cargo plane in war-torn Sudan. Selivanets was on board the Il-76 transport plane, which was shot down by participants in the civil conflict, his family confirmed on October 22.

Granov was the chief engineer of the United Arab Emirates-registered Airline Transport Incorporation FZC. Manas Airport confirmed on October 22 that Granov worked for Airline Transport Incorporation FZC, stressing that the man was not the airport’s employee.

Mash Telegram channel claims that the Russians were flying to Sudan from the United Arab Emirates to repair the plane.

AIRLINE TRANSPORT INCORPORATION (FZC), a company registered in the United Arab Emirates and located within the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF), is officially listed as a legitimate business. However, we believe the company is a front, established to facilitate arms smuggling operations on behalf of Russia’s GRU (Main Intelligence Directorate).

This suspicion arises from the company’s involvement in flights with cargo to conflict zones, including Sudan and Chad, under questionable circumstances. The pattern of operations, alongside its use of front companies and connections to individuals linked to past illicit arms deliveries, strongly suggests that the firm’s true purpose is covert arms trafficking rather than legitimate commercial or humanitarian activity.

Western diplomats have voiced concerns that Russia’s growing footprint in Africa could destabilize the region further. Chad, a key ally of France, is seen as a potential target for Russian influence, with Wagner operatives reportedly supporting Chadian rebel groups responsible for the assassination of Chad’s former president, Idriss Déby, in 2021. Moscow’s backing of these forces could have wide-reaching consequences for the region’s fragile political landscape.