Ukrainian intelligence brags it was involved in the killing of dozens of Russian mercenaries in West Africa. However, this could turn out to be a very foolish move, writes Tagesspiegel.de.
A few days ago it was reported that the Tuareg had dealt a crushing blow to the "Wagner" mercenaries, with 84 Russian mercenaries reported killed, as well as nearly 50 Malian soldiers killed. The Tuareg in Mali have been fighting for independence for years, and the government is using the help of the Russian military group.
In a completely surprising move, a representative of Ukrainian military intelligence, Andriy Yusov, said that Ukraine had provided the rebels with “the necessary information that allowed them to carry out a successful military operation against Russian war criminals”.
These statements have now led to a crisis in Ukraine's relations with West African countries. Mali's interim government has severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine, accusing it of supporting “international terrorism”. Niger also severed diplomatic relations with Kyiv. Senegal summoned the Ukrainian ambassador after the embassy shared a video mentioning the attack. Senegal does not tolerate propaganda in support of terrorism, the foreign ministry said.
Ukraine is unlikely to have provided important information, experts say. Ulf Lessing, who heads the projects of the German foundation “Konrad Adenauer” in the Sahel region, said there was no evidence that Ukraine provided critical information that led to the killing of dozens of Russian mercenaries. The Tuaregs and jihadists know the desert and the mountains best and hardly need help from Ukraine, he pointed out.
Rather, the Tuareg had been monitoring the convoy for days. Then they took advantage of a large sandstorm in which the army was unable to use its drones. "I don't know how Ukraine came up with the idea to brag about supporting the Tuareg rebels who are collaborating with the jihadists," Lessing says. The action will be very damaging to Ukraine and help Russia score even more points in Africa because it can say that Kiev supports terrorists.
And these developments could also have an impact on Europe's relations with West Africa – at a time when the West is trying to get as many countries as possible to support Ukraine against Russian aggression in international organizations and votes.
And in Ukraine itself, there was criticism of Yusov's speech, with some calling it stupid. Instead of boasting about intelligence actions, Yusov should think about Ukraine's strategic interests in Africa, the intelligence officer was advised. Putin only benefits from such a stupid move by Kiev.