Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group who were killed in a battle in Mali have been returned to Russia, as reported by the state-run TASS news agency. The fighting took place in July against Tuareg rebels, resulting in heavy losses for the mercenaries. The bodies of the fallen soldiers were retrieved in a joint effort by the Malian armed forces and Russian allies.
Alexander Ivanov, the head of the Officer’s Union for International Security, stated that the mission was important and had to be accomplished. The repatriated soldiers will be buried with honors, though the exact number of bodies returned was not disclosed.
Wagner Group did not confirm the number of casualties in the battle, but reports suggest that between 20 to 80 fighters may have been killed. The Wagner Group, initially led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, is now under the control of the Russian Defense Ministry after his death in 2023, forming part of a larger entity known as Africa Corps.
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