Ukrainian intelligence made a stupid mistake, Putin rejoices ᐉ News from Fakti.bg – World News

Ukrainian intelligence has been involved in the killing of dozens of Russian mercenaries in West Africa. However, this could be a very stupid move, writes Tagesspiegel.de.

A few days ago it was reported that the Tuareg dealt a terrible blow to the Wagner mercenaries, with 84 Russian mercenaries reportedly 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 support of the Russian military.

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 successful military operations 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 suspended diplomatic relations with Ukraine, accusing them of supporting “international terrorism”. Niger also severed diplomatic relations with Kyiv. Senegal summoned the Ukrainian ambassador after the embassy shared a video referring to the attack. Senegal does not accept propaganda to support terrorism, the foreign ministry said.

Ukraine does not appear to have provided important information, experts say. Ulf Lessing, who heads Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation projects 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 Tuareg and the jihadists know the desert and the mountains best and hardly need help from Ukraine, he said.

Instead, the Tuareg had been monitoring the convoy for days. Then they took advantage of a huge sandstorm in which the army was unable to use their drones. “I don’t know how Ukraine got the idea to support the Tuareg rebels who collaborate with the jihadists,” said Lessing. The action will be very damaging to Ukraine and will help the Russia gets even more points in Africa because it can say that Kiev supports terrorists.

And these developments could also affect 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, Yusov’s speech was criticized, with some calling it stupid. Instead of boasting about the actions of the intelligence, Yusov should think about the strategic interests of Ukraine in Africa, the intelligence officer was advised. Putin only benefits from such a stupid move by Kiev.