Near the Malian city of Menaka, Tuareg rebels blew up a car carrying a convoy of the Africa Corps of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The attack was carried out while the Russian unit was moving in the area where local rebels’ armed groups are operating, the BUTUSOV PLUS Telegram channel reported.
According to the available information, after the explosion, the car became a trophy for Tuareg, who ambushed the convoy.
Local sources report that at least five Russian soldiers were killed in the attack.
The ambush took place against the backdrop of an ongoing confrontation between rebels and Russian forces in northern Mali.
The Africa Corps of the Russian Ministry of Defense operates in the region as a successor to the Wagner PMC structures and is involved in punitive and security operations.
Russian units have repeatedly suffered losses as a result of rebel attacks, including bombings and shelling of convoys.
The situation in the Menaka area remains tense, and control over the territories regularly changes hands between the parties to the conflict.
The pro-Russian military junta in Mali has recently been on the verge of collapse as jihadists blockaded the capital.
