Ukrainian intelligence claims role in deadly Wagner ambush in Mali
Alleged picture Ukrainian GUR SOF advisors on the ground with Tuareg rebels in Mali. (Picture via KyivPost)
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has claimed involvement in an ambush that killed fighters from Russia’s Wagner group in Mali, West Africa – far from the frontlines of Ukraine.
Heavy losses for Wagner in Mali
A Telegram channel linked to Wagner leadership confirmed on Monday that the group suffered significant losses in Mali last week. The channel reported that Wagner and Malian armed forces fought intense battles over five days against Tuareg separatist forces and extremist groups, who utilized heavy weapons, drones and suicide bombers.
Among the casualties was Wagner commander Sergei Shevchenko.
Ukrainian intelligence claims involvement
Andrii Yusov, Spokesman for Ukraine’s GUR, the Military Intelligence Agency, stated on Monday that “The rebels received necessary information and not just information, which enabled a successful military operation against Russian war criminals.”
Yusov did not disclose whether Ukrainian military personnel were involved in the fighting or present in Mali, adding that the agency “won’t discuss the details at the moment, but there will be more to come.”
The Kyiv Post published a photograph purportedly showing Malian rebels holding a Ukrainian flag, authenticated by a defense source in Kyiv, though independent verification was not possible.
Ukrainian forces are also believed to be active in Sudan, another area where Wagner troops are heavily involved, indicating that Kyiv’s conflict with Moscow is extending globally.
There are also allegations of GUR presence in Syria, destroying Syrian Assad regime assets and fighting against Russia.
No hard proof so far to claim this allegation.
Strategic, tactical gains for Ukraine
Serhii Kuzan, Director of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center in Kyiv, explained Ukraine’s interest in targeting Wagner in Africa: “For Moscow, the African countries where Wagner is present are zones of interest that allow it to acquire resources – gold, diamonds, gas and oil – which finance Russian aggression.”
He added these operations served multiple purposes for Kyiv, including reducing Wagner’s military potential and exacting revenge for war crimes committed in Ukraine.
Kuzan emphasized the significance of these operations: “A significant part of the destroyed fighters gained military experience in Ukraine, where they committed hundreds or thousands of war crimes.”
“These crimes should be punished, and Russian war criminals should know that they will never be safe.”
The Malian government, which has been combating insurgencies in the north for over a decade, requested Wagner’s assistance after a military junta took power in 2020.
