The US has sanctioned a Russian man it claims is the leader of the Wagner mercenary group’s operation in Mali.
According to the US Treasury, Ivan Maslov was a key figure in Wagner’s global activities.
Wagner may be using its presence in Mali to conceal efforts to acquire military weapons and equipment for the war against Ukraine, according to the report.
It also charged the Russian group with supplying anti-aircraft missiles to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces.
Wagner was designated as a transnational criminal organization by the United States earlier this year.
The organization has been assisting Mali’s military government in combating Islamist insurgents.
“The Wagner Group’s presence on the African continent is a destabilizing force for any country that allows the deployment of the group’s resources into their sovereign territory,” the Treasury Department stated in a statement.
