Wagner group faces heavy losses in Africa, Ukraine denies involvement

As many as 84 Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group were reported to have died during clashes near Tinzaouaten in Africa. Shortly after Russia's biggest defeat in Africa, Ukraine was accused of being complicit in the massacre. However, these reports were denied by a spokesman for the Tuareg rebels.

The spokesman for the Tuareg rebels from the Alliance for Sustainable Peace, Security, and Development Framework (CSP-PSD), Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadan, categorically denied receiving any support from Ukraine during the conflict, where their forces defeated the Malian army and Russian mercenaries from the former Wagner Group.

We can clearly say that we received no outside help for the fighting at Tinzaouaten. No, we have not received any assistance from Ukraine — said Ramadan in an interview with Reuters.

The Tuaregs operating on the border between Mali and Algeria recently announced that in skirmishes near Tinzaouaten, they killed 84 Russian mercenaries and 47 Malian soldiers, making it the largest defeat of Russians on the African continent.

Statements by a representative of Ukrainian military intelligence in early August, indicating possible Ukrainian support for the Tuaregs, led to the governments of Mali, led by the military junta, and the allied government of Niger, cutting diplomatic ties with Ukraine, despite denials from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding involvement in the conflict.

Both Mali and Niger have also appealed to the UN Security Council to conduct an international investigation into the alleged support given to the Tuaregs by Ukraine.

The Tuaregs have been fighting for over a decade for autonomy over the desert areas in northern Mali. The region, which they call Azawad, has been led for years by Bilal Ag Acherif, who heads the CSP-DBA Alliance. However, he disavows cooperation not only with Ukraine but also with ISIS and Al-Qaeda, condemning terrorism at the same time.