The Russian mercenaries were helping Burkina Faso fight Islamist insurgents, who recently staged a huge attack.
Russia is withdrawing 100 of its paramilitary officers from Burkina Faso to help in the war in Ukraine.
There are fears the pull-out could embolden Islamist insurgents in Burkina Faso, who recently killed up to 300 people in one of the biggest attacks in years. Survivors say up to 300 people were killed on Saturday in the northern town of Barsalogho, in an attack which was claimed by an al-Qaeda-linked armed group, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin .
The Bear Brigade is said to be responsible for guarding senior Burkinabè officials, including Capt Traoré, whose leadership has been threatened before. "When the enemy arrives on our Russian territory, all Russian soldiers forget about internal problems and unite against a common enemy," Bears Brigade commander Viktor Yermolaev
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