Political consultant Igor Ratchin and translator Lev Lakshtanov face 11 charges, including terrorism and espionage, with prosecutors accusing them of acting for Africa Politology, a network allegedly linked to Russian influence operations. The duo’s lawyers reject the case, saying the indictment is unsupported by concrete evidence and insisting the men had no links to the Russian state nor the closely linked Wagner paramilitary group. The case has drawn attention to what analysts say are long-running Kremlin tactics across parts of Africa, where military, political and media networks with Russian ties have expanded their reach in recent years.