Investigation: Russian shadow airlines use Algeria as base for secretive missions

BERLIN/VIENNA — A fleet of Russian military-affiliated cargo aircraft has made over a hundred flights to Algeria over the past year, likely delivering modern fighter jets and equipment to bolster an increasingly important Russian ally at Europe’s southern flank, and using the country as a hub to project Russia’s power deeper into Africa. A Defense News investigation found at least 167 cargo flights linking Russia to Algeria between March 2025 and April 2026, making the North African country one of the key hubs in Moscow’s global freight network. Many of the flights connected airfields associated with United Aircraft Corporation, Russia’s state-owned maker of military jets, to Algerian air bases. Several of the cargo flights also roughly coincided with the sighting of new Russian-made warplanes roaring over the Algerian countryside.The uptick in air traffic comes amid ongoing deliveries of several types of Russian-made warplanes to Algeria. The country is currently receiving Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter jets and Su-35 fighters from Russia. It also operates a fleet of about 60 Su-30 multirole fighters and around 40 MiG-29 air-superiority fighters.At least some of the Russia-Algeria flights are likely linked to the flow of new-generation weaponry. “I think this is a pretty reasonable explanation for these flights,” said Margaux Garcia, a senior analyst with Washington-based C4ADS who tracks Russia’s covert activities.Algeria has become a key customer for Russian arms at a time when Moscow has seen a slump in its billion-dollar military export business following the invasion of Ukraine. Algiers bought 73% of its weapons from Russia between 2018 and 2022, and though the share of Russian-origin weapons has declined in recent years, Russia remains Algeria’s top supplier of arms, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The country has recently placed several large orders for new aircraft, including the ones manufactured at the