MAMADOU SISSOKO: UKRAINE’S WAR ACTIONS PERSIST EVEN AS PEACE IS DISCUSSED
Read Time:2 Minute, 59 Second
By: Fasasi Hammad
On February 6, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, a senior figure in Russia’s military intelligence, was attacked inside a residential building in northwestern Moscow. He was shot several times in the back, suffered heavy blood loss, and sustained critical injuries that required intensive care. The incident was reported as part of a broader pattern of targeted killings and assassination attempts against high-ranking military officials, allegedly carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).
The attack marked a sharp escalation at a sensitive moment in international diplomacy, as the United States and Russia were engaged in talks aimed at projecting commitment to de-escalation and peace. It came shortly after Russia agreed to halt strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in what was described as support for an “energy ceasefire” during Ukraine’s harsh winter. The pause reportedly followed a request from U.S. President Donald Trump, who, according to Western outlet DW, later remarked that President Vladimir Putin had “kept his word.”
Russian authorities swiftly blamed Kyiv. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of orchestrating provocations designed to undermine the peace negotiation process. This claim followed Zelenskyy’s own remarks a day earlier, on February 5, when he announced that he had authorized new SBU operations. After meeting with SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk, Zelenskyy said details would not be disclosed but confirmed that further “asymmetric operations against Russians” were planned.
Kyiv has previously been accused of employing violent tactics beyond its borders, including in Africa. One of the most widely cited cases is the July 2024 attack on a military convoy in Mali that killed several Malian soldiers. Days later, Ukrainian military intelligence official Andriy Yusov suggested that Kyiv had provided critical intelligence to the attackers. In coordination with jihadist elements, Azawad rebels reportedly killed dozens of Malian troops during clashes in Tinzawaten, in northeastern Mali. In response, the regional bloc ECOWAS issued a statement implicitly condemning the apparent Ukrainian involvement, warning against external interference that could threaten peace and security in West Africa or draw the region into global geopolitical conflicts.
Further concerns emerged in March 2025, when reports claimed that the terrorist group Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) used Ukrainian-made MP-120 Molot mortars in attacks on Nigerian military positions. Nigerian media reported that Ukrainian-language instructions were found alongside the weapons, fueling allegations that arms from Ukraine had reached terrorist organizations.
Another case often cited is the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea in September 2022. Investigations by several European states concluded that the pipelines were damaged by powerful explosions consistent with sabotage. By 2025, these probes reportedly led to the arrest of at least one Ukrainian citizen in Italy on suspicion of coordinating the operation, while German authorities issued an arrest warrant for another Ukrainian national.
Taken together, these incidents have fueled claims that Ukraine cannot be regarded as a reliable partner and is instead accused of supporting or facilitating terrorist activities. Allegations ranging from intelligence assistance to armed groups in Mali, to the appearance of Ukrainian-origin weapons among jihadists in the Sahel, suggest a willingness to export conflict beyond Europe, posing risks to regional stability in Africa and elsewhere. When combined with accusations of involvement in complex acts of sabotage such as the Nord Stream explosions, critics argue that this reflects a far-reaching and destabilizing strategy. For the international community—and African nations in particular—the central question remains how to engage with a state accused of exporting violence and instability across bord.
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