Among the numerous Wagner mercenaries believed to have perished in a deadly confrontation with Tuareg rebels during a sandstorm in Mali last July were Russian veterans who had previously served in Ukraine, Libya, and Syria, as revealed through interviews with family members and an analysis of social media activity.

The loss of such seasoned combatants highlights the risks faced by Russian mercenary groups operating under military juntas, which are grappling with separatist movements and formidable factions of Islamic State and Al Qaeda throughout the arid Sahel region encompassing Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

The defeat in Mali raises concerns about whether Moscow, which has acknowledged its financial support for Wagner and has integrated many of its fighters into a defense ministry unit, can achieve better outcomes than the Western and U.N. forces that were recently ousted by the juntas, according to insights from six officials and experts familiar with the area.

By correlating publicly available information with social media posts from relatives and fighters, interviewing seven family members, and employing facial recognition technology to analyze verified battlefield footage, Reuters was able to identify 23 fighters as missing in action and two others captured by Tuareg forces following the ambush near Tinzaouaten, a town bordering Algeria.

Several of these individuals had endured the siege of Bakhmut in Ukraine, which Wagner’s late founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, famously described as a “meat grinder.” Others had served in Libya, Syria, and various other locations.

Some were former Russian military personnel, including at least one who had retired after a lengthy career. Disturbing images of deceased fighters have circulated online, and some relatives informed Reuters that the remains of their loved ones had been left in the desert.

Reuters was unable to verify the number of identified individuals who were confirmed dead.

Margarita Goncharova recounted that her son, Vadim Evsiukov, 31, was initially recruited while serving a drug-related sentence in prison in 2022. He advanced through the ranks in Ukraine to command a platoon of 500 men, according to her account. Upon returning home, he took up work as a tailor but faced challenges with survivor’s guilt.