SUDAN · UKRAINE
Key Facts
- What is happening Sudan’s foreign minister says Ukrainian trainers and snipers back the paramilitary RSF; no evidence is public.
- Why it matters The charge could widen Sudan’s war into a Russia-Ukraine proxy fight and strain Kyiv’s ties with Africa.
- The numbers No count of fighters, arrests or deaths was given; the war has run since April 2023.
- Who is who Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem speaks for the army-led government; the RSF is the rival paramilitary force.
- What to watch Ukraine’s reply, any evidence Sudan publishes, and any filing at the UN Security Council.
- Prediction markets Polymarket gives a Sudan ceasefire by 31 December 2026 an 11% chance (1 November, 4:10 a.m. ET).
- What it means for you Americans are told not to travel to Sudan; Sudan also claims US-made weapons reached the war through Ukraine.
Sudan’s foreign minister says Ukrainian trainers and snipers are helping the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, but no evidence has been published. Ukraine has not replied.
Sudan’s foreign minister, Mohieldin Salem, accused Ukraine of helping the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group fighting Sudan’s army. He said Ukrainian trainers teach RSF fighters to fly drones that hit civilian sites.
The remarks were made in Moscow and reported on 30 and 31 October. Sudan has shown no evidence in public, and Ukraine has not replied.
What Sudan’s Foreign Minister Said
Salem said Sudan holds conclusive physical evidence that Ukrainian military personnel are fighting alongside the RSF. He said Ukrainians train its fighters to use drones against civilian facilities.
He said Sudanese forces detained some Ukrainian snipers and trainers, killed others and seized weapons linked to them. He gave no names, numbers, places or dates.
He said a Sudanese delegation showed US officials documents last year on American weapons leaking from Ukraine and elsewhere. He added that Colombians and other foreigners fight alongside the RSF.
He said Sudan has also put the activity on record with the UN Security Council through its ambassador in New York. No UN document recording such a complaint could be found.
Who Is Fighting Whom
Sudan’s army and the RSF once shared power. They have fought since April 2023, and the army leads the government that Salem serves.
Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan chairs Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, the ruling body. He met President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Friday, 30 October, on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit, the Kremlin says.
On Wednesday, 28 October, Sudan’s defence minister said more than 20 countries back the RSF. The same day its foreign ministry accused Ethiopia of hosting drone launches.
A Sharp Turn From 2023
In September 2023 Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, met Burhan at Shannon Airport in Ireland, his office said. They discussed armed groups financed by Russia, and Zelensky thanked Sudan for backing Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
In November 2025 Ukraine’s foreign ministry condemned violence against civilians in El Fasher, a Darfur city then under RSF control. It said it backs Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In October 2025 the Sudanese army said it had killed Colombian and Ukrainian fighters, including drone engineers and snipers, in El Fasher. That claim was not independently verified at the time.
What It Means for You
Americans are told not to travel to Sudan, where the US embassy in Khartoum has suspended operations. The State Department cites armed conflict, civil unrest, crime, terrorism and kidnapping.
Salem links the charge to American-made weapons, which he says leaked from Ukraine and other places. No answer from Washington or Kyiv to that claim has been found.
Related coverage includes the Red Sea zone Sudan offered Russia on 30 October. More is on the Sudan hub and in the guide to Sudan’s war.
What Prediction Markets Say
Polymarket, an online market where users bet real money, prices a Sudan ceasefire by 31 December 2026 at 11%. That contract has traded about US$15,100, a thin market, with a 9% bid and a 13% ask at 4:10 a.m. ET.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What Is Not Known
The accusation comes from remarks in Moscow. No official Sudanese transcript or foreign-ministry release could be found, and reports elsewhere trace to the same remarks.
Sudan has not named any detained Ukrainian or published the weapons, documents or drone parts it cites. Whether any UN Security Council filing exists is also unconfirmed.
Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied the claim in any source checked as of 1 November. Washington has not commented on the claim about US-made weapons.
The October 2025 army claim about Ukrainian fighters in El Fasher also remains unverified. Independent confirmation of Ukrainian personnel fighting for the RSF was not found.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Sudan accuse Ukraine of helping the RSF?
Sudan’s foreign minister, Mohieldin Salem, says Ukrainian trainers and snipers help the RSF, and that some were detained or killed. He has published no evidence.
Has Ukraine responded to the accusation?
No Ukrainian response was found as of 1 November. Ukraine’s foreign ministry condemned violence against civilians in El Fasher in November 2025.
Is there proof that Ukrainians fight for the RSF?
No evidence has been shown in public. The claims remain those of Sudan’s army-led government and are unverified.
What are the Rapid Support Forces?
The RSF is a paramilitary force that once shared power with Sudan’s army. The two have fought for control of the country since April 2023.
Is it safe for Americans to travel to Sudan?
No, the State Department says do not travel to Sudan. The US embassy in Khartoum has suspended operations.
Sources: President of Ukraine, meeting with the head of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, 23 September 2023; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, statement on the situation in Sudan, November 2025; President of Russia, Third Russia-Africa Summit, 29 October 2026 and meeting with Sudan’s Sovereignty Council chairman, 30 October 2026; US Department of State, Sudan travel advisory; Polymarket, Sudan civil war ceasefire market, 1 November 2026 (all accessed 1 November 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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