Military intelligence Ukrainy (HUR) confirmed on Monday thate is involved in operations in Africa against Russian mercenaries from the former Wagner GroupsAs intelligence representative Andriy Yusov reported, Tuareg rebels fighting against the Malian army and Russian mercenaries received the necessary information from the Ukrainian side, which allowed them to conduct a successful operation against the Russians.
– We definitely won't talk about the details right now, but we will continue (these activities) – Yusov conveyed.
“The whole world sees that this is not the same potential”
– (Russians) tried to solve (some) geopolitical and economic issues, and also change or support some governments with the help of their mercenaries. But today the whole world sees that it is not (anymore) the same potential, (because) possibilities Russia are far from those of years ago. This means that there will be fewer new orders (for the Kremlin) and less reliance on the fact that (such methods) will be the right way to solve problems, Yusov noted.
Ukrainian television asked the HUR representative whether the rebels planned to hand over the captured Wagner members to Ukraine. Yusov replied that such reports were “monitored and checked.”
Brutal clash in Mali. Wagner group counts losses
On Saturday, Reuters, citing a statement from the CSP-PSD (Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development) rebel movement, reported that Malian fighters from the Tuareg ethnic group are said to have killed and wounded dozens of Malian army soldiersas well as Russian mercenaries from the former Wagner Group during the fighting near the border with Algeria. We wrote more about this topic here.
The CSP-PSD group added that it had seized armored vehicles, trucks and tankers during fighting in the border town of Tinzaouaten. It also damaged a helicopter, which later crashed in Kidal, several hundred kilometers away. The clashes were said to have taken place on Thursday and Friday.
Reuters noted that the rebels' reports of the killing of the Wagner soldiers were also confirmed by so-called military bloggers. The mercenaries were allegedly ambushed near the border while traveling in a convoy with government forces. According to this information,and at least 20 Russians were killed. Wagner's group confirmed the losses on Monday. As a result of fighting with separatists, they lost, among others, their commander.
Tuareg attack. “Fierce battles” were fought
As reported on Telegram by Razgruzki Vagner (linked to the Wagner leadership), between July 22 and 27, Malian armed forces and fighters from the Wagner Group's 13th Assault Unit “fought fierce battles” with a coalition of Tuareg separatist forces and jihadists.
Within two days, the separatists “increased the number of mass attacksusing heavy weapons, drones and SVBIEDs (suicide car bombs), which caused losses to the Wagner Group and Malian army soldiers,” the statement said.
The commander of the 13th Assault Unit, Sergei “Prud” Shevchenko, was supposedly killed in action. His last message to the group was: “There are three of us left. We continue the fight.”
The Wagner Group is a Russian mercenary group linked to the Kremlin. Africa is one of its “traditional” areas of activity. The group is notorious and is responsible for numerous crimes. Since 2022, the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, Wagner members have been fighting in the country, but after the so-called rebellion initiated in June 2023 by the head of the Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin and his subsequent death (he died two months later in a plane crash), the formation was officially disbanded and most of the mercenaries were to move to Africa.