Russian military personnel have moved into an air base in Niger that is also housing US troops, US officials said Thursday.
“[The situation] is not great but in the short-term manageable,” a senior US defense official told Reuters.
The entry of Russian forces into Airbase 101 in Niger’s capital city of Niamey comes as negotiations take place between the US and the African nation on withdrawing the roughly 1,000 American service members deployed to the country.
Relations between the US and Niger have deteriorated since a military junta took control of Niger’s government last year.
The new military government is demanding that US forces conducting counterterrorism operations out of Niger leave the country.
Russian troops are occupying a hangar on the base, which is owned by the Nigeriens, separate from where US service members are being housed, and they’ve been on the property for several weeks, according to the Hill.
“We have been monitoring the situation,” a US official told the outlet, noting that Russian personnel do not have direct access to US troops, spaces, or equipment.
The official also explained that the majority of US troops in Niger moved to a different air base, in Agade, shortly after the July 2023 coup.
Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters on Wednesday that the US would be sending a delegation to Niger this week to discuss the withdrawal of US forces.
Russia’s Defense Ministry announced in January that the Kremlin and Niger had agreed to develop military cooperation “to stabilize the situation in the region” and help train Nigerien troops.
The Russian military’s proximity to US troops comes at a time of increased tensions between Washington and Moscow over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
President Biden signed legislation last month authorizing more than $60 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, $1 billion of which has already been sent to the war-torn country, in the form of much-needed anti-aircraft missiles, small arms and artillery rounds.
The US has also recently provided the Ukrainian Army with long-range missile systems capable of striking deep behind Russia’s frontlines.
The Pentagon did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
