Sudan War Escalates as Russia’s Secret Base Comes Under Fire

Russia’s long-secretive presence in Sudan has now been thrust into the open after a high-profile drone and airstrike on its Flamingo naval base in Port Sudan. Once a quiet logistics hub, the base has become a key battleground in Sudan’s civil war and a focal point in a wider regional power contest. As Russia seeks a permanent Red Sea foothold to extend its military and economic reach, it finds itself drawn deeper into a local conflict it had hoped to influence from the shadows. The strike by UAE-backed rebel forces has exposed the vulnerability of Russia’s deniable networks and challenged its model of informal expansion. In response, Moscow now faces a difficult choice between escalation, retreat, or risking further strategic losses in a region critical to its global ambitions.