Russia’s mercenary group, Wagner, has informed the family of captured fighter Alexander Efremov that he has died. Efremov was one of two Russian prisoners taken alive by Tuareg rebels following a brutal battle in the desert in late July that resulted in significant losses for Wagner. His brother, Evgeny Efremov, shared the news on a Telegram group for families of mercenaries involved in the conflict, expressing concern for the mental state of his brother’s wife after receiving the call.
However, a spokesman for the Tuareg rebel group refuted Wagner’s claim, asserting that both Russian and Malian army prisoners captured during the same encounter are still alive. Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, representing the Tuareg organization known as the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development (CSP), declared, “All our prisoners are alive,” labeling Wagner’s assertions as false.
The conflicting reports remain unresolved, as the Tuareg group has not provided evidence of the prisoners’ survival, and Wagner has failed to recover the bodies of its fighters killed in the battle, leaving families uncertain. Initially, Wagner reported most of its fighters from the ambush as missing. Through public data, facial recognition software, and interviews, Reuters has identified 31 mercenaries who were either missing or captured after the confrontation with the Tuareg.
Wagner has acknowledged substantial losses in the ambush but has not disclosed specific casualty figures. Meanwhile, Tuareg separatists claim to have killed 84 Russians and 47 Malians during the clash. The Tuareg have been engaged in an insurgency against the Malian government since 2012, seeking an independent homeland known as Azawad, which has since become intertwined with an al Qaeda-aligned Islamist rebellion.
The Russian foreign ministry has yet to comment on the status of the Wagner fighters. Following the death of Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, last year, the Kremlin has consolidated Wagner and other mercenary groups under a new organization called Africa Corps.
