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Russia’s Shadow Army Bleeds in Mali’s Desert Warzone. Here’s What We Know
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russian mercenaries with the so-called “Africa Corps” were ambushed by Tuareg rebels in northern Mali, according to the open-source intelligence project (OSINT) war_noir on X on June 13.
The ambush took place near the town of Kidal and was reportedly carried out using Belgian-made PRB-M3-A1 anti-tank mines.
The targeted convoy included both Malian Armed Forces personnel and Russian mercenaries affiliated with the Africa Corps, a rebranded continuation of Russia’s Wagner Group operations in the region.
#Mali / #Russia 🇲🇱🇷🇺: "Azawad Liberation Front" ambushed a vehicle operated by #Russian Africa Corps (#Wagner Group) in #Kidal. #Azawad militias seemingly planted several #Belgium-made 🇧🇪 PRB-M3-A1 HE-Blast Anti-Tank Landmines (seen in the 1st photo). pic.twitter.com/OPRTKxiWbH
— war_noir (@war_noir) June 12, 2025
According to LSI AFRICA, four Russian fighters were killed in the attack, and three others were wounded.
Photos from the scene show only a destroyed truck unit towing an empty flatbed trailer, suggesting additional vehicles may have been present during the attack, given the reported number of casualties.
The ambush is the latest in a series of increasingly systematic attacks against Russian paramilitary personnel in Mali.
On February 6, militants ambushed a Russian “Africa Corps” convoy using a remotely detonated explosive device, damaging a VPK-Ural armored vehicle.
In another notable incident in late November 2024, fighters from Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM)—a jihadist group linked to al-Qaeda—ambushed a Wagner convoy in southern Mali.
The group claimed responsibility for the attack, which killed six Russian mercenaries and resulted in the seizure of various weapons and gear, including five AK rifles, a 7.62mm PK/PKM machine gun, and a 12.7mm Khawad heavy machine gun.
A separate large-scale ambush occurred in July 2024, resulting in the deaths of both Russian mercenaries and members of Mali’s junta. Their convoy, which included a Chinese-made armored vehicle, was destroyed.
Russia’s original proxy force in Mali, the Wagner Group, officially announced its withdrawal earlier this year after more than three and a half years of operations. The group stated its mission had been “successfully completed” with the claimed return of all regional capitals to the control of Mali’s “legitimate authorities.”
Wagner’s presence in Mali began in 2021 following a coup that brought Colonel Assimi Goïta to power. The group worked closely with Mali’s military regime, conducting joint operations against jihadist groups such as JNIM and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS).
However, the situation grew more complex with the collapse of a fragile peace deal with the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), a Tuareg-led separatist alliance.
The truce, in place since 2015, effectively disintegrated in the wake of repeated violations by the junta and the expanded role of Russian mercenaries.
Earlier, reports emerged that Moscow has been sending tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, and other expensive equipment to West Africa via cargo ships despite Western sanctions.
The convoy of ships, flying the Russian flag, sailed from the Baltic Sea for nearly a month. European military officials, who also monitored the ships closely, reported that the vessels were carrying howitzers, electronic warfare equipment, and other military gear for the African Corps established by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
