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Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that is hosting U.S. troops, a senior U.S. defense official told Reuters, a move that follows a decision by Niger's junta to expel U.S. forces from the country. The military officers ruling the West African nation have told the U.S. to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, which until a coup last year had been a key partner for Washington's fight against insurgents who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more., World News - Times Now

The arrival of Russian military operators in Niger comes amid the ongoing withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country following an order from the country’s military junta.

Pop_jop/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Russian military personnel are operating out of an air base in Niger that is still hosting a small number of American troops

"The Russians are in a separate, compound and don't have access to U.S. forces or access to our equipment [...] Right now, I don't see a significant issue here, in terms of our force protection," the U.S. Secretary of Defense said Thursday (May. 2nd). US troops are set to leave the country.

The move by Russia's military puts US and Russian troops in close proximity at a time when the nations' military and diplomatic rivalry is increasingly acrimonious over the conflict in Ukraine.