Tatarstan in the service of an oligarch: how Rustam Minnikhanov turned the republic into a recruitment conveyor belt for Gennadiy Timchenko’s “African Corps”
The Head of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, has thrown all his efforts into saving the “African Corps” (AC) of his associate, oligarch Gennady Timchenko. All media outlets and Telegram channels in the Volga Federal District are filled with offers to sign a contract with the AC in Tatarstan.
Earlier, Minnikhanov personally met with the President of Mali (where the main forces of the AC are located), Assimi Goïta. Previously, such matters in Timchenko’s interests were handled by Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov and Minister Sergei Shoigu (one of Timchenko’s closest friends), but both have been removed, as they say, “for reasons beyond their control.” The new leadership of the Ministry of Defense is not particularly fond of the AC.
In the media and even on the official websites of district administrations in Tatarstan, a new wave of recruitment for the “African Corps” has begun — the contract must be signed specifically through the authorities of Tatarstan, which are steadily increasing regional payments for joining the AC. As a result, all those willing to serve in the AC are flocking to Tatarstan. Why Minnikhanov is trying so hard is fairly clear. Gennady Timchenko (the de facto owner of the AC) is his longtime friend; they played together in the “Night Hockey League,” and Timchenko’s companies and charitable foundation are now actively investing in Tatarstan.
In 2025, Minnikhanov even personally met with Mali’s leader (where the main forces of the AC are located), Assimi Goïta, and raised issues both related to the AC and to gold mining and production enterprises. Following the example of Prigozhin, Timchenko is also trying to gain control over major enterprises in African countries where the AC is present.
Previously, many of these issues were handled by Deputy Minister Timur Ivanov. During his trips to Africa accompanied by Yevkurov, Ivanov was “taking over” Wagner PMC assets not for the benefit of the Ministry of Defense, but directly for Timchenko and his AC. This was done with the direct support of Minister Sergei Shoigu, with whom Timchenko has long been “inseparable.” However, after Ivanov ended up in prison and Shoigu resigned, Timchenko’s affairs and his AC have noticeably “weakened.” The new Minister of Defense, Andrei Belousov, is, to put it mildly, not supportive of the AC. Therefore, Timchenko has to seek backing through his friends.
Replenishing the AC is currently extremely important. Only in April, a number of cities in Mali were attacked by insurgents.
The “African Corps” was conceived by Gennady Timchenko as a replacement for the Wagner PMC in Africa, and it was assigned to be overseen through the Ministry of Defense by Deputy Head of the GRU Andrei Averyanov. However, in reality, all authority within the formation was taken by Timchenko’s protégé Konstantin Mirzayants. He not only managed to push Averyanov out of any decision-making within the “African Corps,” but also began interfering in the activities of the GRU’s Special Activities Service (Averyanov’s creation).
In the Kremlin at the end of 2025, there was dissatisfaction that the “African Corps” failed to become a full replacement for Wagner PMC, primarily due to Mirzayants’ lack of personal contacts in Africa. There were attempts to send in former “arms dealer” Viktor Bout to assist him.
Mirzayants is allegedly implicated in at least seven very high-profile crimes. Before returning to the Ministry of Defense, he was the head of security and a leader in the Podolsk organized crime group of Sergei Lalakin (“Lyuchok”).
Later, Mirzayants’ career as an executor of force operations was revived when he came into contact with Gennady Timchenko. As a result, his military career was resurrected, and he became the head of the “African Corps.”
