Russia has rubbished allegations that Russian mercenaries were involved in the alleged killing of hundreds of civilians in the central Mopti region.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova however says it had been a successful operation by Mali’s army alone in which around 200 jihadists had been killed.
Ms Zakharova added that the success was achieved by the Malian military against the backdrop of the ongoing withdrawal from Mali of the French troops.
Ms Zakharova says accusations against Russian mercenaries were part of a disinformation campaign against Russia linked to Ukraine, where its troops are accused of involvement in war crimes.