Russia reacts to reports about PMC Wagner fighters killed in South African Republic

No Russian instructor has been either captured or killed in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Russian ambassador said commenting to reports about the murder of fighters from private military company (PMC) Wagner, RIA Novosti reports.

According to him, the reports about the death of Russian military men in the CAR were fake.

Earlier, local publication Corbeau News said that rebels in the Central African Republic announced the murder of PMC Wagner fighters. According to the anti-government Coalition of Patriots for Change, one Russian was taken hostage, and several others were killed.

Representatives of the Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières confirmed that on the day of the fighting with government forces near the city of Bambari on February 10, local morgues did receive the bodies of the dead. No other details were provided.

In December 2020, Russia sent 300 military instructors to the country at the request of the authorities of the Central African Republic. It was clarified that they would train servicemen of the republic's national army. It was also reported that the Russian mercenaries started helping the CAR army - they were spotted 130 kilometers north-west of the republic's capital of Bangui, along with mercenaries from Rwanda and representatives of the CAR Armed Forces (FACA).