A video circulating online shows a member of the Russian private military company Wagner Group choosing death over capture, attacking Tuareg militants with a stone.
The incident occurred last week (Jul 25) near the village of Tinzawaten, close to Mali’s border with Algeria, where a military convoy carrying Wagner contractors and Malian soldiers was reportedly ambushed.
Dozens of contractors killed
Unverified reports and videos suggest that dozens of PMC contractors were killed, and a few were taken hostage. One fighter, presumed to be from Wagner due to his appearance and Soviet-style camouflage, played dead before charging the militants with a stone, only to be shot at point-blank range.
The ambush also resulted in the destruction of multiple armored and soft trucks, with footage showing a military attack helicopter forced to make an emergency landing after taking ground fire. Among those killed was Russian military blogger Nikita Fedyanin, known as ‘Beliy,’ who edited the Telegram channel GREY ZONE, associated with the Wagner Group.
The Wagner Group is believed to have been involved in recent clashes between the Malian military and Tuareg insurgents, supporting government troops near the Algerian border.
