Wagner lost veteran fighters in Mali ambush, in setback to Russia's Africa campaign 

FILE - Tuareg rebel alliance fighters who clashed with Russian Wagner mercenaries are seen in northeastern Mali, near Tinzaouaten, Mali, July 2024, in this screen grab taken from a handout video. (Coordination of Azawad Movements/Handout via Reuters)

Among the dozens of Wagner mercenaries presumed dead after a lethal battle with Tuareg rebels during a desert sandstorm in Mali in July were Russian war veterans who survived tours in Ukraine, Libya and Syria, according to interviews with relatives and a review of social media data.