Videos purportedly show dozens of Russia's Wagner group fighters dead in Mali after battling Taureg rebels

Newsweek

Wagner Leader Appeals to Putin after Mali Ambush Leaves 80 Dead

Mali has severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine following a statement by a spokesman for Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR) implicating Ukraine in last month's deadly ambush on Malian soldiers and operatives from the Russian Private Military Company Wagner.

BBC News

On July 25, Tuareg rebels and al-Qaida affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin attacked Malian and Russian soldiers near the border with Algeria. In the following three-day battle, the Malian army suffered "significant" losses. Reports put Wagner's death toll at between 20 and 80 men.

Turkiye Today

The dispute arose when GUR spokesman Andriy Yusov informed public broadcaster Suspilne on July 29 that the Malian rebels had obtained "all the information they needed, which allowed [them] to carry out their operation against the Russian war criminals.”

Al Jazeera

Mali's government spokesperson, Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, stated that Mali immediately cut ties with Ukraine after learning that Yusov admitted Ukraine's involvement in "the cowardly, treacherous, and barbaric attack" by the armed terrorist groups.

On Sunday, the Mali government issued a statement condemning Ukraine for its foreign interference, which violated Mali's sovereignty. It also accused Ukraine of supporting international terrorism, saying it was "a clear aggression" against Mali.

Reuters

Mali has been grappling with Tuareg separatists for over a decade. When Islamist terrorists intervened, violence worsened. The government's inability to quell the Tuareg insurgency led to a military coup. The new junta ended its long-standing friendship with France and replaced French and US military support with Russian advisors.

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Wagner Group Fighters in Mali

Russia

Mali

Armed conflict

Ukraine

There is a 68% chance Mali will experience a successful coup d'etat before 2040, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Wagner Group Fighters in Mali

Wagner Group Fighters in Mali

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Wagner Group Fighters in Mali

Wagner Group Fighters in Mali

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