Russian Admission Reveals Military and Coercive Agenda Behind African “Russian Houses”

Russian officials have for the first time openly admitted that a private military company was involved in the creation and support of Russia’s so-called “cultural centers” in African countries, as reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) under Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council on January 13.

According to the CCD, Yevgeny Primakov, head of the Russian state agency Rossotrudnichestvo, which oversees the promotion of Russian “culture” abroad, publicly acknowledged that a “well-known African private military company” played a role in establishing the so-called “Russian Houses” in Mali and the Central African Republic.

Primakov also stated that some members of this PMC later transitioned into positions within Russian state institutions. His remarks undermine the long-standing Kremlin narrative that these “Russian Houses” serve a purely cultural purpose.

“Primakov acknowledges that in practice, ‘Russian Houses’ are not neutral platforms for cultural exchange, but rather an element of hybrid operations. In this way, Russia is effectively admitting that it uses military and coercive instruments of influence under the cover of humanitarian and educational diplomacy,” the CCD said.

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The Center emphasized that Primakov’s statement comes amid numerous reports alleging the involvement of Russian PMCs in serious human rights abuses in Mali and the Central African Republic.

“This once again demonstrates that Moscow’s so-called cultural initiatives pose risks to stability and security in various regions of the world,” the CCD added.

Earlier, Anton Gerashchenko, former deputy minister at Ukraine's Ministry of Interior, shared a video on his X, claiming it shows a Russian soldier humiliating an African mercenary.

The video depicts a Russian serviceman attaching an anti-tank mine to the African fighter, with the narration suggesting it is a harsh prank or act of punishment.

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