How Russian propaganda exploits ambush on Wagner convoy in Mali to denigrate Ukraine

Andriy Yusov, a representative of Ukraine's defense intelligence, anticipated a “continuation” following the Wagner convoy attack. He stated that the rebels in Mali had received crucial information that helped them carry out the operation against the Wagner mercenaries.

However, Yusov did not explicitly say that Ukraine was the source of this information. Nevertheless, Russia exploited the destruction of the Wagner convoy in Africa in an attempt to undermine Ukraine's reputation on the global stage. To do this, Russia employed its usual disinformation tactics.

Following the ambush by Tuareg separatists on Wagner mercenaries and a Russian disinformation campaign, Mali's military junta announced it was severing diplomatic ties with Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of supporting the rebels. The following day, Niger, an ally of Mali with its own military junta, made a similar announcement. A day later, Andriy Yusov clarified in an interview with the Financial Times that he had not confirmed Ukraine's involvement in the Wagner mercenaries' defeat in Mali.

Ambush on Wagner group in Mali: background

Since early 2012, Mali, a country in West Africa, has been embroiled in a conflict between its southern government and rebel groups in the north, mainly composed of Tuareg fighters. These rebels have been fighting for independence or greater autonomy for northern Mali.

To address the conflict, the Malian government initially sought help from UN peacekeepers and French forces. However, two military coups in 2020 and 2021 disrupted efforts to end the war.

Following these coups, a military junta took control of the country, expelled foreign forces, and brought in Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group to support the Malian army. Since then, Wagner has been working closely with the new Malian government in its fight against the northern rebels, significantly increasing its presence in the country.

Russia's influence in Africa

Russia has renewed its political focus on Africa since 2014, when it became increasingly isolated on the global stage. In contrast, Ukraine has only recently begun actively building relationships with African nations, a move that has not gone unnoticed by the Kremlin.

Africa holds strategic importance for both Russia and Ukraine, though for different reasons. Many African countries are experiencing rapid economic growth, and the continent represents a vast and young consumer market.

For Ukraine, securing African support in the United Nations is crucial, particularly when it comes to resolutions that support Ukraine's territorial integrity. As a result, the foreign ministers of both Russia and Ukraine have been actively visiting African countries to strengthen diplomatic ties.

Russia has capitalized on the situation in Mali to weaken Ukraine's standing both in Africa and on the international stage, launching a disinformation campaign by spreading narratives to further undermine Ukraine's position.

Russian disinformation: “Ukraine provides weapons and training to terrorists”

Russian propaganda has manipulated the information by deliberately substituting key concepts: by labeling the Malian Tuareg as Islamists and al-Qaeda affiliates, Russian media falsely claimed that Ukraine was supplying weapons and training to al-Qaeda militants, who are widely recognized as terrorists. 

In reality, both groups operate in neighboring regions and oppose the Malian junta. They are distinct entities with different motivations.

Furthermore, Russian propaganda twisted a comment by Ukrainian intelligence about the information that helped the rebels defeat Russian mercenaries into accusations of active cooperation between Ukraine and "Islamist terrorists."

Adding to the confusion, Islamist groups began claiming responsibility for the attack. The al-Qaeda affiliate Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) bolstered Russian propaganda by claiming to have killed 50 Russian mercenaries and 10 Malian soldiers in the attack.

Following these events, the Malian Tuareg rebels reiterated their claim that they had ambushed Wagner mercenaries on their own, without any assistance from foreign intelligence services, including Ukraine. The statement was published by Reuters.

In an attempt to capitalize on its own defeat, Russia launched a large-scale disinformation campaign accusing Ukraine of supplying weapons to al-Qaeda terrorists. The campaign began with a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, which swiftly accused Ukraine of supporting terrorist groups. 

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, alleged that the Ukrainian government was aiding terrorists in African countries allied with Moscow. Zakharova claimed that the “Kyiv regime” was doing this to destabilize these nations and undermine their cooperation with Russia.

The Kremlin’s French-language outlet, RT France, which targets French-speaking countries in Africa, shared the Russian officials' statements.

• https://francais.rt.com/afrique/112922-carnets-sante-drones-preuves-presence
• https://francais.rt.com/afrique/112927-sahel-mali-niger-ont-saisi

Specifically, Russian propaganda has claimed that Ukraine is involved in providing weapons and training to al-Qaeda militants. This appears to be an attempt to link Ukraine to terrorism and discredit it in the eyes of African nations. The false claims suggest that Ukrainian military intelligence supported the Ansar Dine group, an al-Qaeda affiliate.

Indeed, there are multiple rebel groups in the area, and the convoy carrying Wagner mercenaries was attacked by Tuareg separatists who are not Islamists. These Tuareg fighters are part of a movement seeking to establish their own state, Azawad.

Kremlin’s narrative: Ukraine destabilizes the situation in Africa

Russia is promoting narratives in the Sahel region, including Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger, that suggest Ukrainian involvement in destabilizing activities. This is part of a broader strategy to portray Ukraine as a global destabilizing force, particularly in regions where Russia has its own strategic interests.

The Kremlin’s French-language Sputnik outlet has actively spread disinformation in Africa, including quotes from Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, who claimed that severing relations with Kyiv is the best solution for the Sahelian alliance (Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali). This statement is part of Russia’s information warfare strategy to foster long-term distrust of Ukraine among African states that already have ties with Moscow.

• https://tribune-diplomatique-internationale.com/2024/ukraine-entrainement-des-groupes-terroristes-sahelmercenairesincursion-en-russie/
• https://strategika.fr/2024/08/17/un-nouveau-front-ukrainien-au-mali/
• https://resistancerepublicaine.com/2024/08/18/lukraine-lentrainement-des-groupes-terroristes-au-sahel-les-mercenaires-et-lincursion-en-russie/

Pro-Russian French-language publications such as Tribune Diplomatique Internationale, Strategika, and Résistance Républicaine have also promoted the false narrative that Ukraine is training terrorists in Africa and attempting to shift conflicts to the Sahel region. These outlets portray Ukraine as an active player in African conflicts, particularly in Mali, and accuse it of escalating violence in both Africa and Russia. The goal is to portray Ukraine as a destabilizing force that orchestrates provocations in Africa and undermines stability.

• https://tribune-diplomatique-internationale.com/2024/ukraine-entrainement-des-groupes-terroristes-sahelmercenairesincursion-en-russie/
• https://strategika.fr/2024/08/17/un-nouveau-front-ukrainien-au-mali/
• https://resistancerepublicaine.com/2024/08/18/lukraine-lentrainement-des-groupes-terroristes-au-sahel-les-mercenaires-et-lincursion-en-russie/

Additionally, French-language Sputnik quoted “expert” Alexander Arkadyev, who regularly criticizes the West. Arkadyev has propagated the disinformation that the West is using Ukraine as an intermediary to supply weapons to Africa. This claim fits into a larger narrative that depicts Ukraine as a tool of Western geopolitics, used to destabilize regions like Africa. The aim is to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and discredit its international allies.

Russian propaganda channels on Telegram, such as BreakingMash, A. Supersharij, Rusich Army, RIA Novosti (Rian Ru), BB BREAKING, Readovka, Rybar, and RVvoenkor, disseminate propaganda primarily to both domestic and foreign audiences.

Leading global publications have provided an objective and balanced report on the conflict involving Russian mercenaries in Mali. Here's a summary of their reports:

• CNN: Reported on the deaths of Russian mercenaries linked to the Wagner Group in Mali, suggesting that this incident may be part of a broader regional conflict.
• The Guardian: Noted that Ukrainian military intelligence might have played a role in the attack on Russian mercenaries in Mali.
• France 24: Reported that Tuareg rebels in Mali claimed to have killed over a hundred Mali soldiers and Russian mercenaries in clashes during July.
• Newsweek: Analyzed Wagner’s defeat in Mali and its potential implications for Russian military strategy and diplomacy.

In France, which was pushed out of Mali by Russia, Wagner, and the junta, Le Monde.fr quoted a Tuareg rebel commander who denied that Ukrainian intelligence assisted in organizing the attack. The commander also mentioned having regular contacts with intelligence agencies from various countries.

Overall, the coverage by major media outlets from the UK, Germany, and France has been objective and refuted Russian narratives on Ukraine. These reports have not accused Ukraine of supporting terrorists, but they have clearly identified Tuareg rebels as those who carried out the ambush, rather than Islamist al-Qaeda affiliates.

Despite this, Russia has been conducting a vast disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting Ukraine and reducing its Western support.

Espreso TV has conducted this study on the spread of the Russian disinformation campaign on the Wagner ambush on Mali in collaboration with InsightNews.