“Wagnerivtsi” in Mali lost the most experienced mercenaries, – Reuters

Journalists were able to identify 23 “Wagnerians” who went missing and two others captured by the rebels.

Among the dozens of mercenaries of the “Wagner” PMK, eliminated during the battle with the Tuareg rebels in Mali in July, were those who survived during business trips to Ukraine, Libya and Syria.

As Reuters writes , the loss of such experienced mercenaries shows how dangerous service to military juntas in different countries can be. The elimination of mercenaries in Mali has raised doubts about the Kremlin’s ability to handle the situation in that country better than the UN troops recently dispatched by the junta, according to six officials and experts working in the region.

Reuters was able to identify 23 “Wagnerians” who were missing and two others who were captured by the Tuareg. In particular, the journalists established that several mercenaries took part in the siege of Ukrainian Bakhmut. Others served in Libya, Syria and elsewhere. Some of them were former Russian soldiers.

At the same time, the journalists could not confirm how many of the identified “mercenaries” were killed.

After the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the “Wagner” PMK, in August 2023, his mercenaries joined a group called the African Corps under the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, “to fight for justice and the interests of Russia.”

“Wagner” admitted serious losses in Mali, but did not name the figures. The Malian army, which fought alongside the Russians, also did not report casualties. At the same time, Tuareg rebels fighting for the country’s independence said they killed 84 Russians and 47 Malians.

While Reuters was unable to determine how many people were killed in the fighting, one video from Tuareg rebels showed at least 47 bodies, mostly white men in military uniform, lying in the desert. Reuters verified the location and date of the video.

(C)UNIAN 2024