The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine confirmed the participation of fighters of the private military company Wagner in the defeat of the Tuareg rebels in Mali. This was stated by the official representative of the department, Andrey Yusov, his words were reported by the Ukrainian publication “Public”.
“The rebels received not only the information that would allow them to conduct a successful military operation against Russian war criminals, but also the necessary information. We will definitely not talk about the details, more will follow,” Yusov said.
At the same time, he described the alleged Tuareg plans to transfer captured Wagnerites to Ukraine as “sensitive.” The representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate stressed that Kiev is currently “monitoring” and “checking” such messages, but will not comment on them. He added that Ukraine is acting “within the framework of international law and necessary procedures.”
A Russian TV channel had previously reported on Kiev’s possible involvement in the Tuareg ambush. RT: Published photos of people dressed in military gear with their faces hidden; one frame showed a man wearing an outfit with the Ukrainian coat of arms. RT claimed the photos depicted “Ukrainian mercenaries from Africa working on the side of Tuareg separatists.”
Wagner confirms soldiers’ deaths
PMC “Wagner” confirmed the deaths of its fighters in battles with the Tuaregs. Official statement on the situation seen Telegram channel “Wagner is Evacuated”, the authenticity of which was previously confirmed by the founder of PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The publication notes that the soldiers of the FAM (Mali Armed Forces) and the fighters of the 13th Assault Detachment of the Wagner PMC, led by commander Sergei Shevchenko, conducted fierce battles with the militants of the Azawad Coordination Movement with the call sign “Pond”. (CMA) and the prohibition of the terrorist organization “Al-Qaeda in the Sahel” in the area of the village of Tin-Zautin of the Russian Federation (located in northeastern Mali, on the border with Algeria) for five days – from 22 to 27 July.
“On the first day, the ‘Prud group’ destroyed most of the Islamists and the rest fled. But the ensuing sandstorm allowed the radicals to regroup and their numbers to increase to 1,000. In connection with this, the Wagner PMC command decided to transfer additional forces to the battlefield to provide assistance to the 13th Assault Detachment,” the Telegram channel reported.
On July 25, militants attempted to attack PMC fighters and the Malian army but were repelled.
Over the next two days, the radicals increased the number of major attacks using heavy artillery, UAVs and suicide bombers, which resulted in casualties for Wagnerites and FAMa soldiers.
The last radiogram from the “Prud group” came at 17:10 on July 27 and read: “There are three of us left, we continue to fight.”
According to the evacuation Wagner, the commander of the 13th Assault Platoon, Sergei “Pond” Shevchenko, was killed during the fighting.
Telegram channel “Military Correspondents of the Russian Spring” published video of the crashes. The footage shows burning equipment.
PMC losses
Wagner PMC did not specify the number of fighters killed in clashes with Tuareg rebels. The Associated Press previously reported, citing a statement from the rebel movement, reportedHe said the radicals “defeated an entire column of the Malian army and Russian mercenaries” and seized their cars and armored vehicles. The movement’s representative, El-Mawloud Ramadan, told the agency there were heavy losses among Wagner PMC fighters and Malian soldiers. He said some had also surrendered.
Former member of the UN mission in Kidal It has been said AFP reported that “after several days of fighting, at least 15 Wagner fighters were killed or captured.”
Base Wrote about at least 20 dead PMC soldiers. The Telegram channel “VChK-OGPU” (known in the Russian Federation as a foreign agent) gave other figures, citing a source. According to them, 33 Wagner soldiers were killed, 18 were injured. At the same time, the Condottiero channel reportedThe losses in the ranks of the “Wagnerians” were not critical, but painful.
Among those killed was Nikita Fedyanin, the author of the Gray Zone Telegram channel with the call sign “Bely”, Russian military channels wrote.
As for the prisoners, how reported Citing a source in the Russian Defense Ministry, SHOT reported that all captured PMC fighters had already been bought back from the Tuaregs.
What are Wagnerians doing in Mali?
In 2012, a military coup took place in Bamako, the capital of Mali. The Tuareg took advantage of the situation to rebel and declare the establishment of the independent state of Azawad in the north of the country. The military government that came to power, led by Amadou Sanogo, accused the rebels of having links to Al Qaeda (an organization banned in Russia).
The Malian government asked France to launch a military operation against the separatists in 2013. A year later, Operation Barkhane expanded to other countries in the region: Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger and Chad.
In 2020-2021, two more coups took place in Mali, which brought Colonel Assimi Goita to power. Le Monde WroteIn the eight years since the operation began, “military successes have been achieved, but the goal of the country’s eventual handover to a unified Malian state appears unattainable today.” French President Emmanuel Macron said the French military could not remain in a country “where there is no longer any democratic legitimacy.” June 10, 2021 Macron reportedIt will complete the Paris operation and reduce its military presence in Mali.
In September of the same year, France24 reportedHe said that the new Malian government will attract Wagner PMC to train its army. This information will come later approved Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
“They (Mali authorities. – socialbites.ca) turned to a private military company from Russia due to the fact that, as I understand it, France wants to significantly reduce its military contingent there, which, as everyone understands, should fight terrorists,” the Russian minister said.
After the rebellion of Yevgeny Prigozhin and PMC fighters in 2023, Lavrov also reportedIt was stated that in addition to relations with Wagner, there are also official contacts between the Malian and Russian governments. The Russian Foreign Minister emphasized that Russian military instructors will continue their work in Africa at the request of the authorities.
With data PMC “Wagner” has been operating in Mali for several years, providing security for various structures and sites, RBC reports. BBC reportedThe internal security of the country depends to a large extent on the existence of the “Wagnerians”.
“In the beginning these [военные] junta [пришедшие к власти в Мали] “They were transitional leaders. They were supposed to hold elections and restore democratic institutions. But now Russian paramilitary forces have been brought in to protect the military junta and allowed to remain in power for as long as he wants.”
Jack Walting, an expert at the British think tank RUSI (Royal United Services Institute), told the BBC that the PMC was offering to help and was asking for “something in return”. Africa, particularly Mali, is paying for valuable natural resources, from timber to uranium and lithium. With their help, Wagner is not only paying for military operations, he is also making money.
According to Walting, PMC operates in Africa in line with Russia’s interests in trying to weaken Western countries’ control over mineral deposits.
What are you thinking?
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.