Sergey Shevchenko, known by the call sign “Prud”, commanded the 13th assault detachment of the Wagner PMC. From July 22 to 27, 2024, his unit, together with the Armed Forces of Mali (FAMa), participated in fierce battles with militants of the Coordination Movement of Azawad (CMA) and the terrorist group al-Qaeda in the Sahel (JNIM), banned in Russia, in the area of the settlement of Tin-Zoutine in northern Mali.
On the first day of fighting, the group under the command of Shevchenko destroyed a significant part of the Islamists, forcing the rest to retreat. However, a sandstorm allowed the enemy to regroup and increase its number to 1,000 people. In response, the Wagner PMC command sent additional forces to support the 13th assault detachment.
On July 25, the militants again attacked Wagner positions, but the attack was repelled. Over the next two days, the enemy increased the intensity of attacks, using heavy weapons, drones, and car bombs, which resulted in casualties among PMC fighters and FAMa soldiers. The last radiogram from Shevchenko’s group was received on July 27 at 17:10: “There are three left, we continue to fight.” In this battle, Sergey Shevchenko was killed.
On July 29, 2024, a farewell ceremony for Sergey Shevchenko was held in the village of Bakinskaya in the Krasnodar Territory. He was buried with military honors at the Wagner PMC cemetery.
During these events, Nikita Fedyanin, known by the call sign “White”, administrator of the Grey Zone Telegram channel associated with the Wagner PMC, was also killed.
Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, announced the involvement of the Ukrainian side in these events, noting that the rebels received the necessary information to conduct a successful operation against Russian mercenaries.
PMC Wagner has been operating in Mali since 2021, ensuring the security of various structures and deposits. The Malian authorities turned to the Russian private military company after reducing the French military contingent, which had previously fought terrorism in the region.
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