Summary

  • A long-idle Il-76MF associated with the Russian Wagner paramilitary group in the Central African Republic has been reactivated and given a new registration, TL-ART.
  • The United States Department of Defense has documented Il-76 aircraft associated with Wagner PMC in multiple African countries, and intelligence reports suggest Wagner is expanding its operations.
  • The reactivated aircraft's previous registration was RA-76900, and it had a history of airshow attendance before being modified for a country that no longer existed and another country that didn't want it.