Dozens of Wagner PMC mercenaries killed in Mali

The Wagner PMC has revealed details of the death of a detachment of its mercenaries in Mali. The corresponding message was published by the telegram channel “Wagner Unloading”, which is close to the PMC.

“From July 22 to 27, 2024, FAM servicemen (Mali government forces - Kholod's note ) and fighters from the 13th Assault Detachment of the Wagner PMC, led by commander Sergei Shevchenko, call sign "Pond", fought fierce battles in the vicinity of the settlement of Tin-Zoutin with militants from the Coordination Movement of Azawad (CMA) and the terrorist group Al-Qaeda in the Sahel (JNIM), banned in the Russian Federation,” it says.

According to the PMC, on the first day of fighting, its mercenaries were able to destroy most of the Islamists who attacked them and "put the rest to flight." "However, the ensuing sandstorm allowed the radicals to regroup and increase their numbers to 1,000 people," the statement says.

Over the next few days, the Wagner mercenaries, along with the Malian military, continued to fight off attacks that included “heavy weapons, UAVs and suicide vehicles.” The PMC statement said the mercenaries suffered casualties, but did not specify the exact number of dead or wounded.

"The last radiogram from the "Prud group" was received on July 27 at 17:10: "There are three left, we continue to fight." The commander of the 13th Assault Detachment, Sergei "Prud" Shevchenko, was killed in action," the Wagner PMC reported.

Mali's army general staff reported on July 26 that Islamists had attacked a government patrol near the town of Tin Zoutine in the northeast of the country, near the border with Algeria. Tuareg rebels soon announced that they had "defeated an entire column of the Malian army and Russian mercenaries" during the fighting on July 25 and 26, capturing their vehicles and armored vehicles and shooting down a military helicopter. The Tuareg reported that they had killed and captured dozens of Malian soldiers and Russian mercenaries.

Later, AFP sources in Mali said that between 15 and 17 Wagner mercenaries had been killed in the fighting. A BBC source in the company reported that at least 82 Wagner mercenaries had been killed.

In turn, the Russian agency TASS, citing a source, reported that among the dead mercenaries was the administrator of the popular pro-war telegram channel Grey Zone, Nikita Fedyanin, better known under the pseudonym “Five Hundredth.”

To get the main news faster, subscribe to our telegram and twitter .