The U.S. is closely watching efforts by the Wagner group to source weapons through Mali for use against Ukraine, where the Russian paramilitary is on the frontlines of some of the bloodiest battles targeting Ukrainian forces.
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said Monday that while the U.S. has not seen any indication that Wagner has been successful in receiving military material, it is “monitoring the situation closely.”
“We have sanctioned a number of entities and individuals across a number of continents that support Wagner’s military operations and we will have more to share on this question soon,” Miller said.
The spokesperson’s remarks confirmed a CNN report over the weekend that the U.S. is raising alarm that Wagner is working to covertly source military equipment by routing such materials through third-party countries, in particular Mali.
“We have been informed that Wagner is seeking to transit material acquisitions to aid Russia’s war, through Mali, and is willing to use false paperwork for these transactions,” Miller said.
“In fact there are indications that Wagner has been attempting to purchase military systems from foreign suppliers and route these weapons through Mali, as a third-party.”
The public warning is part of a pattern by the U.S. to declassify intelligence surrounding Russia’s war in Ukraine to better coordinate global action to cut off Moscow’s ability to wage war.
The U.S. said in December that North Korea had shipped infantry rockets and missiles to Wagner and a February intelligence document — revealed in a wide-ranging leak in April — reportedly detailed that the group was trying to buy weapons and equipment from NATO-ally Turkey.
The Biden administration designated Wagner as a Transnational Criminal Organization in January as part of efforts to identify and cut off parts of its global support network and punish the group as a mercenary fighting force supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Wagner has a deep history on the African continent, where the group is often hired as a private security contractor to supplement weak armies but has been accused of heinous atrocities against civilians.
Congress has pushed for the Biden administration to designate Wager as a foreign terrorist organization.
But the White House has rebuffed these efforts over concerns that such a designation would harm efforts by Washington to engage with African countries employing the mercenary group.