Niger's junta survived its most severe internal threat since seizing power in a 2023 coup when renegade soldiers staged a mutiny over the weekend, triggering a 24-hour standoff that ended with Russian intervention.

The mostly young soldiers took some of their colleagues hostage at a strategic military base in the capital, Niamey, and fired shots near the presidential palace 12 kilometers (7 miles) away before being subdued by presidential guard forces aided by Russia's Africa Corps paramilitary group, according to several analysts and diplomats.

Russia's ambassador to Niger, Viktor Voropayev, told Russian media Niger had requested support from the Russian force and the mutineers were "neutralized, particularly thanks to the intervention" of Africa Corps.