US imposes sanctions on leader of Wagner group in Mali

Private army led by Ivan Aleksandrovich Maslov accused of acquiring weaponry for use in Ukraine

The United States has imposed sanctions on the head of the Wagner group in Mali, accusing the Russian private army of using the country as a conduit for arms and military equipment for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

The US Treasury said Ivan Aleksandrovich Maslov works closely with Malian officials to build Wagner’s presence in Mali and elsewhere in Africa.