Hundreds of civilians were tortured by Wagner mercenaries in Mali: report
The victims, who were interviewed by a consortium of reporters led by investigative outlet Forbidden Stories, spoke from a refugee camp in neighbouring Mauritania about waterboarding, beatings with electrical cables and being burned with cigarette butts.
The investigation revealed that the use of illegal detentions and systematic torture, which sometimes led to death, was similar to that which occurred in Ukraine and Russia.
The investigation, which was conducted in conjunction with France 24, Le Monde and IStories, identified six detention sites where the Russian paramilitary group held civilians between 2022 and 2024, but the actual number could be much higher, it said.
Mali's ruling junta, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, broke off ties with former colonial power France and pivoted towards Russia for political and military support after coming to power.
The country never officially admitted Wagner's presence, insisting it only worked with Russian instructors.
Nonetheless, last week a Telegram channel affiliated with Wagner announced that the Russian paramilitary group was leaving Mali.
Its personnel will be reintegrated into its successor, Africa Corps, another paramilitary group with links to the Kremlin, according to diplomatic and security sources who spoke with AFP.
For more than three years, Mali had relied on Wagner in its fight against jihadists who have killed thousands across the country.
The paramilitary group's brutal methods on the ground in Mali have been regularly denounced by human rights groups.
A UN report accused Mali's army and foreign fighters of executing at least 500 people during a March 2022 anti-jihadist sweep in Moura -- a claim denied by the junta.
Western governments believe the foreign fighters were Wagner mercenaries.
Last April, bodies were discovered near a Malian military camp, days after the army and Wagner paramilitaries arrested dozens of civilians, most from the Fulani community.
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The Hill
24 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump sets ticking clock for Moscow
Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here PRESIDENT TRUMP on Monday pivoted in favor of Ukraine, arranging for U.S. weapons to be delivered to Kyiv and threatening new sanctions on Moscow if Russia's war stretches later in the year. Speaking in the Oval Office alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump outlined the parameters of a deal to sell U.S.-manufactured weapons to NATO, with the expectation that they'll be delivered to Ukraine. The systems include Patriot missile defense batteries, which are seen as critical for Ukraine's defenses as it seeks to guard its skies from Russian bombardment. Trump cast the agreement as a win for the U.S., which has approved more than $175 billion in aid for Ukraine since the war started in 2022. It comes after most NATO countries agreed to ramp up their defense spending. 'We are going to be sending them weapons and they're going to be paying for them,' Trump said. The president also set a 50-day deadline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring an end to the war. If the war continues beyond that period, Trump said he'd slap 100 percent tariffs on countries that trade with Russia, known as secondary tariffs. 'The country's economy is going very poorly, and he's got to get his economy back. He's got to save his economy,' Trump said. However, Trump cast doubt on a bipartisan sanctions bill on Russia that currently has 85 co-sponsors in the Senate. That bill would implement 500 percent tariffs on Russia and their economic partners. 'I'm not sure we need it, but it's certainly good they're doing it,' Trump said, adding that Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) would be at the White House later Monday to discuss the matter. Throughout the press conference, Trump repeatedly expressed frustration with Putin, accusing him of agreeing to wind down the war during their private conversations, only to follow with another bombing campaign. 'I always hang up and say… 'Well that was a nice phone call,' and then missiles launch into Kyiv or some other city,' Trump said. 'That happens three or four times, you realize the talk doesn't mean anything,' he added. Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, met Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. 'We hope for U.S. leadership, as it is clear that Moscow will not stop unless its unreasonable ambitions are curbed through strength,' Zelensky said in a statement. 'I thank Keith Kellogg for this visit to Ukraine. I am grateful to President Trump for the important signals of support and the positive decisions for both our countries. We deeply value the support of the American people.' 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There are reports that Bongino considered resigning, unhappy with the administration's handling of the situation, although that appears to have blown over. Trump said over the weekend that Bongino is 'in good shape.' The president also defended Bondi and called on his supporters to drop the matter. 'What's going on with my 'boys' and, in some cases, 'gals?' ' Trump posted on Truth Social. 'They're all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein.' Trump went on to baselessly accuse former President Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other Democrats of creating the Epstein files. Many on the right are not letting it go. 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Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cluster Warhead Version Of Russian Kh-101 Cruise Missile Caught On Camera
Footage from a recent Russian bombardment of the Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi provides us with what is likely our best look so far at a Kh-101 cruise missile fitted with a cluster warhead being used. While Russian forces have made extensive use of a variety of cluster munitions in the conflict, it's notable that the relatively high-end Kh-101 long-range cruise missile is also now being used in this capacity. It should be noted that cluster munitions, on various types of weapons, have also been widely employed by Ukraine in the conflict. Massive strike on Chernivtsi!Likely a Kh-101 missile with a cluster warhead. — 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝕯𝔢𝔞𝔡 𝕯𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔠𝔱△ (@TheDeadDistrict) July 12, 2025 Footage showing one of Russia's Kh-101 cruise missile strikes on Chernivtsi City. The missile was equipped with a cluster warhead. — AMK Mapping (@AMK_Mapping_) July 12, 2025 The video in question is said to show part of the Russian attack on Chernivtsi, in the region of the same name, in southwestern Ukraine, on the night of July 11. Apparently filmed from the window of an apartment building, a missile can be seen plummeting toward the ground at a steep angle, followed soon after by a string of detonations consistent with a cluster warhead. A large dark cloud of smoke then rises from the area. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine claims the Russian attack on Chernivtsi damaged administrative and residential buildings, as well as vehicles. Two people were killed, and 14 others sustained injuries of varying severity, the service reported. At night, the Russians attacked the city of Chernivtsi near the Romanian border with missiles and drones. They hit residential buildings and killed 4 made no sense. The city is 700 km from the front. Its residents do not pose any threat to Russia. With such terrorist… — Денис Казанський (@den_kazansky) July 12, 2025 Buildings in #Lviv and #Chernivtsi damaged in last night's is working with local authorities and partners to help respond to the needs of affected children and families. — UNICEF Ukraine (@UNICEF_UA) July 12, 2025 A building in Chernivtsi has been hit seemingly by a Kh-101 equipped with cluster munitions. 48.2565239, 25.9545555Source 1 2https:// @GeoConfirmed @UAControlMap @Cen4infoRes — Rocket Man (@Grimm_Intel) July 12, 2025 Under the most basic definition, cluster munitions are bombs, rockets, artillery shells, and other projectiles that, when fired, open in mid-air and release dozens or even hundreds of smaller weapons. These submunitions are most commonly high explosive charges or land mines, which are types covered by various international treaties, including the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which you can read more about here. The submunitions, or bomblets, are scattered over a wide area, the density of which can be programmed into the weapon. This scattering increases the physical area of destruction a cluster munition can inflict compared to a unitary warhead, with a tradeoff in destructive force on any one point. As well as the indiscriminate nature of the damage when employed on a populated area, significant numbers of the submunitions fail to explode on initial impact. They can then pose a hazard for rescue efforts and, if not made safe, can remain a hidden threat to civilians for many years. While we don't know with absolute certainty what weapon was involved, the only logical and known fit for the approach and subsequent detonation we see in the video is the version of the Kh-101 designed to dispense cluster munitions. Considering the distance of Chernivtsi from Russia — it is only around 20 miles from the border of NATO-member Romania — the long-range Kh-101 cruise missile is the only reasonable candidate. In addition, a cluster warhead is not currently known to be provided for any Russian cruise missile other than the Kh-101, although it is far from a new concept, with cruise missiles like the U.S.-made Tomahawk Land Attack Missile also previously having this option. The maximum range of the Kh-101 missile is reportedly between 1,864 and 2,485 miles. The missile apparently entered series production in 2010-11 and was subsequently used in combat during Russia's campaign in Syria, launched by both Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers. The first reports of a cluster warhead version of the Kh-101 cruise missile — which is known to NATO as the AS-23A Kodiak — began to appear last summer. Even before that, the relatively modern Kh-101 was established as the most important Russian air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) of the war. The first evidence of the cluster version of the Kh-101 being used appears to date from the night of June 7, 2024, when imagery emerged showing the spherical-shaped charge that is understood to comprise the cluster warhead alongside wreckage of the missile itself. Kyiv Mayor Klitschko showed cluster submunitions from Kh-101 missiles, with which the enemy attacked Kyiv at night. — Igor Kyivskyi (@Igor_from_Kyiv_) June 17, 2025 Police warn residents of Kyiv Oblast that during last night's missile attack, Russia used modernized Kh-101 cruise missiles with cluster-bomb warheads. Unexploded submunitions from the warheads of shot-down missiles have been found. Should not be touched, but reported to police. — Euan MacDonald (@Euan_MacDonald) June 12, 2024 Cluster munitions from new Kh-101 Russian cruise — Rob Lee (@RALee85) June 15, 2024 The existence of a cluster-warhead Kh-101 was also confirmed by Russian military bloggers, who highlighted the value of a weapon of this kind, especially for targeting Ukrainian airbases and air defense sites. According to the Milinfolive channel on Telegram: 'The lack of cluster warheads in Russian long-range cruise missiles, such as the Kh-101 or Kalibr, had an extremely negative impact on the effectiveness of missile strikes on enemy airbases in the first weeks of hostilities, when Ukrainian aviation was in the most vulnerable position, and the air defense system of the AFU could not shoot down even a fraction of the missiles.' Video showing a Russian cruise missile (likely a Kh-101) flying over — Rob Lee (@RALee85) May 7, 2022 Certainly, cluster warheads put these kinds of targets under considerable threat, but they are also relevant for attacking other soft targets spread out over an area, such as air defense systems, vehicle pools, ammo dumps, and others. These are precisely the kinds of targets Ukraine went after when they recieved cluster warheads-equipped ATACMS short-range ballistic missiles and used them to great effect. However, indications point to the indiscriminate use of the cluster version of the Kh-101 against a city with a population of more than 250,000. This continues a pattern of Russian attacks on civilian targets across Ukraine, using various types of missiles and drones, with such bombardment having stepped up notably in recent weeks. Still, the Kh-101s are prized weapons that are not in surplus after years of war in Ukraine, so using them selectively is clearly a top priority for the Russian Air Force. In other words, targets are not haphazardly chosen, civilian or military. As for launch platforms, the Tu-160 can carry up to 12 Kh-101s on rotary launchers in its tandem bomb bays. The turboprop-powered Tu-95MS can carry up to eight Kh-101s externally, since the missiles are too large for its internal weapons bay. Captured on camera a second before it hit a children's cancer hospital on Monday, the Kh-101 is one of Russia's most advanced cruise missiles and critical to its intensifying air strike campaign against Ukrainehttps:// — Financial Times (@FT) July 10, 2024 Different adaptations of the Kh-101 have also previously appeared in the war in Ukraine, apparently having been modified to meet the changing demands of the conflict. Since at least January 2023, Kh-101s have been noted employing a decoy capability in Ukraine, although a self-defense function of some kind is understood to have always been present in these missiles. The missile's ability to release infrared countermeasures flares in flight — usually during its terminal run-in to its target — has been noted on several occasions in videos. Very curious video of what appears to be a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile deploying flares/decoys during the — Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) December 29, 2023 There have also been reports of Russia fielding a second countermeasure-equipped Kh-101 subvariant. According to these accounts, the revised countermeasures are intended to 'jam' enemy surface-to-air missiles, which could suggest dispensers loaded with chaff or some kind of electronic warfare capability. A Russian Telegram channel revealed (and then deleted) photos of new version of the Kh-101 strategic cruise missile. Unlike the standard 'izdeliye 504A', the new '504AP' has added electronic countermeasures to jam anti-aircraft missiles. — Piotr Butowski (@piotr_butowski) November 16, 2022 There is also another warhead configuration that seems to have been tailored specifically for the war in Ukraine. Seemingly something of an ad-hoc solution, this involves fitting a second charge — reportedly containing steel fragments to increase the overall destructive effect — at the expense of fuel and therefore range. A fragmentation charge would render the weapon more effective against personnel and softer targets, as well as increasing its lethal radius and blast damage. It could also be useful if accuracy is more limited. The first claims that such a dual-warhead version of the Kh-101 was being used emerged at the end of March 2023 among Ukrainian military bloggers. It was claimed that one of the missiles had been shot down, revealing two charges, with a combined weight of around 1,760 pounds compared to around 1,000 pounds for the single warhead in the standard Kh-101. Firm evidence of a Kh-101 modified with a second warhead appeared in May 2024, as you can read about here. РФ для удару 8 травня взяла з конвеєру Х-101 з подвійною БЧ, зроблену в 2 кварталі 2024 року | Defense Express — DEFENSE EXPRESS (@DEFENSEEXPRESS) May 8, 2024 A downed Russian Kh-101 air-launched cruise missile with two warheads. See below for more — John Hardie (@JohnH105) May 8, 2024 Notably, the account from the Milinfolive channel suggests that it's possible that, in the cluster version, a dual-warhead configuration is also used, with one of the charges being a fragmentation warhead, and the other being the new cluster payload. Once again, even when striking a target in the far west of Ukraine, any reduction in the missile's range resulting from the revised, heavier warhead leading to a reduction in fuel capacity, would be academic. Sacrificing fuel (and thereby range) is not a concern for Russia so long as it's using Kh-101s to hit targets in Ukraine. After all, the basic Kh-101 can strike targets almost anywhere in Europe when launched within Russian airspace. Legally speaking, the use of a Kh-101 missile with a cluster warhead in a civilian area is a clear violation of international humanitarian law and potentially also a war crime. At the same time, with Russia and Ukraine having both opted out of signing the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits weapons of this kind, it will continue and likely expand in the conflict. As for the Kh-101, Russia is doing everything it can to up production of these weapons, which gives the Russian Air Force its only means of striking deep into Ukraine with a heavy warhead. Contact the author: thomas@
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
First lady Melania Trump helped convince president to get tough on Russia, he says
President Trump suggested Monday that first lady Melania may have helped convince him to ramp up military aid to Ukraine. As he explained his decision to get tough on Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said his wife was one of the people who directly pointed out to him that Putin always backs out of his promises following their phone calls over a peace deal. President Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where he announces a deal to send U.S. weapons to Ukraine through NATO. REUTERS Advertisement 'I go home, I tell the first lady, 'You know, I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation.' She said, 'Oh, really? another city was just hit,'' he said, recounting one of their recent calls. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend the FIFA Club World Cup final soccer match in New Jersey on Sunday. AP The Kremlin has repeatedly fired ever-escalating waves of drone and missiles attacks at Ukraine following the calls with Trump. The American commander-in-chief announced that he was fed up with Moscow as he vowed to commit 'billions of dollars' worth of weapons to Ukraine and levy 100% tariffs against Russia if Putin continues to reject a US-backed cease-fire agreement over the next 50 days.
