A failed mutiny in Niger on Saturday has revealed the ruling junta's increasing dependence on Russian mercenaries, contradicting its narrative of reclaiming national sovereignty. The uprising, which involved disgruntled soldiers attacking sensitive sites and seizing a key military base at Niamey's airport, was suppressed with decisive assistance from Russia's Africa Corps. Russia's ambassador to Niamey, Viktor Voropaev, boasted that the intervention helped "repress a mutiny," while analysts noted that the Africa Corps provided ground and air support to retake Air Base 101, one of the capital's most strategic locations.