Mali has announced it is severing diplomatic ties with Ukraine, following comments made by a senior Ukrainian official regarding a recent attack that targeted Malian soldiers and mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner group. The move comes amid heightened tensions in the region and accusations of foreign interference.
The decision was triggered by remarks from Andriy Yusov, spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (GUR), who indicated Kyiv’s involvement in a heavy defeat suffered by Wagner mercenaries and Malian forces in late July. In a statement to the public broadcaster Suspilne, Yusov said, “The rebels received all the necessary information they needed, and not just the information, which allowed them to conduct a successful military operation against Russian perpetrators of war crimes. We certainly won’t go into details now – you will see more of this in the future.”
The northern Tuareg rebels claimed responsibility for the attack, reporting that they killed at least 84 mercenaries and 47 Malian soldiers over three days of fighting near the Algerian border. This incident marked one of the heaviest defeats for Wagner since their involvement in the conflict began two years ago.
Mali’s government expressed outrage at Yusov’s comments, describing them as an admission of Ukraine’s complicity in what they termed a “cowardly, treacherous and barbaric attack” by armed terrorist groups. Government spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga announced that Mali would break off relations with Ukraine “with immediate effect.”
In addition to Yusov’s remarks, Mali also cited statements made by Ukraine’s Ambassador to Senegal, Yurii Pyvovarov. Pyvovarov was summoned by Senegalese authorities over a video posted on Facebook in which he voiced unequivocal support for the attack in Mali.
Mali accused Ukraine of violating its sovereignty and supporting international terrorism, with Maiga emphasizing that such actions constituted unacceptable foreign interference.
The diplomatic fallout follows intense fighting that erupted on July 25 at a military camp in Tinzaouatene, near the Algerian border, highlighting the ongoing instability and complex geopolitical dynamics in the region.
