The UK government announced sanctions on Thursday against three private mercenary groups with links to the Kremlin, including Wagner group successor Africa Corps. “These sanctions will bear down on Russian malign activity in Libya, Mali, and CAR (Central African Republic), exposing and combatting Russia’s illicit activity in Africa,” a government statement said, announcing its latest package of measures against Russia. The UK government said the measures were the first direct sanctions against Africa Corps by a G7 country. Moscow was a key player in Africa during Soviet times and has been boosting its influence on the continent again in recent years. Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group or its successor, Africa Corps, now support several African governments and Russian “advisers” work with local officials. The British sanctions come before Russia holds a large gathering of African foreign ministers in Sochi, southern Russia, this weekend. As well as Africa Corps, private military group Espanola and the Bears Brigade organisation are also being sanctioned. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the sanctions would continue the UK’s “pushback on the Kremlin’s corrosive foreign policy, undermining Russia’s attempts to foster instability across Africa and disrupting the supply of vital equipment for Putin’s war machine” in Ukraine. The punitive measures are part of the UK’s biggest package of sanctions against Russia since May 2023. Others targeted include suppliers supporting Russia’s military production and a GRU Russian intelligence agency agent that London believes was involved in a chemical weapon attack on the UK city of Salisbury in 2018. The UK has been one of Ukraine’s biggest backers in its war against Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour, committing to delivering £3.0 billion ($3.9 billion) of military aid every year for as long as needed. “Putin is nearly 1,000 days into a war he thought would only take a few. He will fail and I will continue to bear down on the Kremlin and support the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom,” Lammy added.