Malian rebels deny receiving help from Ukraine to destroy Wagner mercenaries – Reuters
Wagnerites in Mali (Photo: Russian propaganda media)

The Tuareg rebel alliance in Mali did not receive Ukrainian aid in combat operations at the end of July, when a significant blow was struck against the mercenaries of the Wagner PMC, the representative of the alliance, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, told Reuters.

"We can clearly say that we received no outside help for the fighting at Tinzaouaten," he said.

Asked whether Ukraine previously helped the rebel movement financially or with training, Ramadane said: "No, we have not received any assistance from Ukraine."

REFERENCE
The Tuareg are an ethnic group that inhabits the Sahara region, in particular, part of northern Mali. The group launched an insurgency against the Malian junta government in 2012, but the uprising was later overrun by Islamist groups. In 2015, the rebels signed a peace agreement with Bamako, but at the end of 2022 they withdrew from the negotiations. The Wagner Group mercenaries, in particular, are fighting against the Tuareg.

    On July 28, 2024, Tuareg rebels claimed to have killed dozens of government soldiers and Russian mercenaries from Wagner in a battle near the border with Algeria.

    On August 1, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence representative Andriy Yusov stated that, in addition to operations to destroy Russian mercenaries in Sudan, Syria and Mali, there were several more that were not disclosed in the media yet, and further similar measures are being prepared.

    On August 2, Tuareg rebels in Mali announced that they had eliminated 84 Russian mercenaries from the Wagner terrorist group and 47 Malian soldiers in three days. According to the French newspaper Le Monde, Ukrainian special services are training Tuaregs to fly drones.

    On August 5, the transitional government of the Republic of Mali decided to break off diplomatic relations with Ukraine due to its support for the actions of the Tuareg rebels, who recently defeated a column of Malian military and Russian mercenaries of the Wagner terrorist group.

    MaliWagner Group