This report contains descriptions of conflict-related sexual violence, including references to physical and sexual assault, sexual and gendered narratives, and other forms of abuse. Some readers may find this content distressing.
CIR has blurred personal images and redacted most links and the names of Telegram channels due to privacy concerns and to avoid amplifying harmful content. The list of examples on incidents of conflict-related sexual violence has also been removed. Upon request, CIR can share any relevant data.
Executive summary
This investigation examines how incidents of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) committed by Russian-controlled forces in Africa relate to online discourse. By collecting and categorising online posts containing gendered narratives targeting African women and offline incidents of CRSV, the investigation explores how gender-based violence by Russian-controlled forces manifests online and offline and the relationship between the two.
The investigation analyses an indicative sample of CRSV incidents alongside posts and images collected from Telegram channels run by military bloggers affiliated with Russian military deployments in Africa (hereafter referred to as Wagner/AC-affiliated milblogger channels). The main findings of the investigation are:
- Online, Wagner/AC-affiliated milblogger channels use gendered, racist, and sexual narratives, as well as hate speech, in their online discourse to dehumanise, humiliate, and sexualise African women. This includes images that objectify African women, with captions that use derogatory language to describe them. The hate speech, derogatory language, and narratives can be viewed as forms of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV).
- These posts received significant engagement, generating hundreds of thousands of views and thousands of reactions and comments endorsing the content. The comment section often reflects the narratives in posts, with users leaving comments that reduce African women to mere objects of disgust and/or fetishisation. This all indicates that these views are not niche and were widely endorsed within the community.
- These posts were observed only in PMC Wagner Group (Wagner)/Africa Corps (AC)-affiliated milblogger channels. These channels serve as recruitment platforms or discussion forums for personnel. While they have direct links to Wagner and AC, they are not the groups’ official communication channels. These narratives stand in sharp contrast to the language used in official channels run directly by Wagner, AC, or Russian influence vectors like African Initiative (AI). The latter focus solely on soft propaganda, such as Russia’s positive actions toward women in Africa.
- Offline, CIR identified 26 publicly reported cases of CRSV by Russian personnel in Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR) between January 2021 and April 2025. These cases included rape, humiliation, psychological abuse, the burning of bodies, and severe injuries.
- Although information remains limited or entirely absent, it is highly likely that similar cases of CRSV are taking place in other African countries where Russian forces are directly engaged in conflict. CRSV against women is a common tactic used to humiliate, control, and destabilise communities. The lack of accessible open-source information on CRSV complicates efforts to understand the full extent of the issue, as many incidents remain unreported due to fear and stigma.
- While there is some evidence of online discourse mirroring offline action, it is not possible to establish a direct causal link between the statements and actions of the Russian mercenary structure, Wagner, or its successor AC. However, the findings are consistent with the broader evidence base on how online discourse normalises and enables offline violence by dehumanising and sexualising women and girls based on their identity.
- The continuity in personnel and use of online spaces between Wagner and AC could suggest that AC is likely to continue Wagner’s previous online and offline behaviours. These findings, therefore, remain relevant, even after the transition from Wagner to AC.
While the data collection for this investigation concluded in July 2025, subsequent monitoring by CIR researchers indicates that Wagner/AC-affiliated milblogger Telegram channels continue to circulate gendered, racist, and sexual narratives targeting African women.