Mali has severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine after Ukraine's military intelligence agency (GUR) implicated Kyiv in last month's deadly ambush on Malian soldiers and Wagner fighters near the Algerian border.

On July 25, Tuareg rebels and militants from the al-Qaida affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin clashed with Malian and Russian soldiers near Tinzaouaten. In the ensuing battle, the Malian army suffered "significant" losses, while Russia's Wagner group reportedly lost at least 20 mercenaries.

The controversy erupted when GUR spokesman Andriy Yusov on July 29 said that the Malian rebels had been given "all the information they needed, which allowed [them] to carry out their operation against the Russian war criminals."

On Sunday, the Malian government condemned Ukraine for violating Mali's sovereignty. It also accused Ukraine of supporting international terrorism, alleging it "constitute[s] a clear aggression" against Mali.

Mali has been grappling with Tuareg separatists and Islamist terrorists for over a decade. The nation's military leaders, who seized power in a 2020 coup, have replaced French and US military support with Russian fighters to thwart the separatists and jihadist forces.

Mali Breaks Off Diplomatic Ties with Ukraine

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Mali Breaks Off Diplomatic Ties with Ukraine

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