The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published on 20 November 2025 an analysis titled "A Shadow War in the Global South: Are Kyiv's Operations in Africa Paying Off?" by Sam Bowden.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kyiv has conducted intelligence operations against the Kremlin across Africa and the Middle East. Kyiv opened 8 new embassies in Africa after the Russian invasion in 2022, raising its total to 19. But Ukraine's efforts continue to lag well behind Russia's engagement in Africa, and its outreach to the continent has been limited at best.
