Russia’s military Wagner Group confirms death of its soldiers in Mali PHOTO

The official Telegram channel of Wagner Group (PMC Wagner), "Unloading Wagner", has reported that several Wagner fighters were killed in clashes with Tuareg rebels in Mali.

The Telegram channel did not specify the exact number of casualties among the PMC fighters, Caliber.Az reports citing the Russian media.

However, earlier reports indicated that over 80 Wagner operatives had died.

The hostilities occurred near the settlement of Tin-Zautin between July 22 and July 27.

The Malian armed forces and the 13th Assault Detachment of Wagner PMC, led by Commander Sergei Shevchenko (call sign "Pond"), were engaged in the hostilities. The attacking forces included militants from the Coordination of Azawad Movements and the Al-Qaeda in the Sahel terrorist group.

According to the PMC, on the first day of fighting, Shevchenko’s group effectively destroyed most of the Islamist militants, forcing the survivors to flee. However, during a sandstorm, the militants regrouped and their numbers swelled to around a thousand. In response, Wagner PMC command deployed additional forces to the combat zone, successfully repelling an attack on July 25.

Over the subsequent two days, the militants intensified their assault, utilizing heavy weapons, UAVs, and suicide vehicles. On July 27, the last communication from Shevchenko’s group reported that only three fighters had survived. The PMC has confirmed that Sergei Shevchenko, the commander of the 13th Assault Detachment, was killed in battle.

Spokesman for the CSP-DPA, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, has claimed that some Malian soldiers and Wagner PMC fighters surrendered during the conflict. Among the captured individuals was Anton Elizarov, also known by his call sign "Lotus," who is reported to be a successor of Wagner PMC founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.

On July 28, a coalition of armed groups in northern Mali reported that Tuareg rebels had killed and wounded dozens of soldiers and Wagner PMC fighters near the border with Algeria. The Mali General Staff, however, assessed its losses as only two personnel.