RSF readies massive drone fleet for imminent attack in Sudan, Yale report says

September 29, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have amassed a fleet of at least 43 attack drones at an airbase in South Darfur, a buildup that researchers at Yale University said on Monday is a “sign of imminent attack.”

In an emergency alert, the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) said satellite imagery from Monday morning showed the drones and 36 launchers at the RSF-controlled Nyala airport. The entire fleet and 20 of the launchers appeared within the last three days, according to the report.

The report described the build-up as a “clear and present danger to civilians, critical infrastructure, and humanitarian aid access.”

At least 23 of the drones are consistent with the Shahed-136 family of long-range “loitering munitions,” which have a range of 1,500-2,500 kilometres, putting all of Sudan within striking distance, the researchers found. An additional 20 smaller drones were also identified.

The HRL report links the Nyala airbase to past RSF aerial operations, noting that a smaller number of similar drones were seen at the exact location in May 2025, coinciding with a series of RSF drone strikes on Port Sudan, some 1,600 km away.

The alert also cited recent attacks, including a Sept. 19 RSF drone strike on the Al-Safiya mosque in El-Fasher that killed more than 75 people, as evidence of the group’s use of drones to cause mass civilian casualties.

The report identified a potential international supply chain, noting that the drones were consistent with Chinese-made models, such as the Sunflower-200 and ZT-180. It cited other reports alleging that the United Arab Emirates is the RSF’s primary backer and that a UAE state-owned firm had signed a deal to produce the Sunflower-200 model.