Ukrainian intelligence discloses details of special rescue operation in Sudan

Military scouts conducted a unique special operation on the territory of Sudan, from where more than 60 Ukrainians were repatriated.

The press service of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense reported that on Telegram.

"A group of special forces operated in the number of fewer than 10 people. Compared to the rescue operations of the United States, which used helicopters, armored vehicles, and special forces, or Saudi Arabia, which used a missile cruiser in the port of Sudan, we operated alone without armored vehicles, aviation, and heavy weapons, because all our the forces are now engaged at the front," said a member of the special operation, a military intelligence officer Yarema.

The representative of the intelligence noted that this operation was much more difficult than the one conducted in Afghanistan because the airport in Afghanistan had an American military base, forces, departure point, etc.

Yarema said that in Sudan, one route could have more than 40-50 checkpoints of unidentified forces, which could not be contacted or coordinated.

The Main Directorate of Intelligence informed that Sudan plunged into chaos with shooting, artillery duels, and the use of aircraft right in the cities, in particular in Khartoum, the capital of this African state, from where it was necessary to rescue Ukrainian citizens quickly.

"The civil war (in this country – ed.) was provoked by the Russian Federation because 1.5 months before the start of hostilities, Lavrov came there (to Sudan – ed.), he brought some equipment. RSF fighters were trained in the camps of the Wagner Private Military Company ", the Ukrainian military intelligence clarified.

Separately, the department stated that most of the rescued Ukrainians worked in Sudan in the aviation industry.

"This circumstance significantly increased the risks: the airport immediately turned into a battlefield, where our citizens remained stranded without food and water," the press service noted.

As reported, on April 26, a plane with 64 Ukrainians evacuated from Sudan landed at the Polish airport.

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On June 5, 2021, media reports suggested a possible attempted coup d'état in Khartoum, Sudan's capital. Reports indicated that clashes had broken out between the armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of Sudan, a paramilitary organization. The RSF declared to have seized the presidential palace, the residence of the army chief, and Khartoum International Airport. However, the armed forces denied the claim and reported destroying the Tibah and Soba RSF camps with aircraft. The incident has widely been attributed to disagreement over the integration of the RSF into the army.

The RSF has a long history of alleged human rights violations, including torture, extrajudicial killings, and mass rape. In 2019, the RSF and the Sudanese army jointly led a military coup, resulting in the removal of Omar Hassan al-Bashir from power, and the formation of a transitional government. A power-sharing agreement between the military and the Sovereign Council was approved to govern the country for a year before holding elections and the final transition to civilian rule.

On June 5, 2021, a possible attempted coup d'état occurred in Khartoum, Sudan's capital. Clashes broke out between the armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary organization, reportedly due to disagreements over the integration of the RSF into the army. The situation continues to be tense between Sudan's military and civilian groups, with the RSF and the Sudanese army signing an UN-backed Framework Agreement in December 2022, pledging to hand over power to a civilian government eventually.