Wagner mercenary who trained Russian boxing champion, fought in Ukraine, was killed in Mali, intelligence source says
Russian mercenary Igor Nesterov, who previously fought in Ukraine and coached boxing champion Alexander Povetkin, was killed in combat in Mali, a source in Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent.
The source called Nesterov a war criminal and a member of Russia's infamous Wagner company, a mercenary group that was deployed in some of the most brutal battles in Ukraine.
Nesterov took part in Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine from its beginning and was seen in pictures with other Russian soldiers, the source added.
The intelligence source did not provide further details about how Nesterov was killed. The Russian promotion company World of Boxing confirmed his death on July 16, saying Nesterov was killed in combat.
Nesterov had been part of Povetkin's team since the late 1990s and headed the boxing federation in Chekhov, Moscow Oblast.
Povetkin, an Olympic boxing champion, has echoed Russian propaganda justifying the war against Ukraine in the past, framing Moscow's actions as a fight against "Nazism."
The intelligence source noted that the Wagner company continues to suffer losses in Mali despite claims it is leaving the West African country, where it fought alongside Malian government forces to fend off Islamist insurgents.
The Wagner company, known for its deployment in Ukraine and short-lived rebellion against the Kremlin in 2023, has a strong presence across the African continent, backing Russian business interests and Moscow-friendly regimes.
The mercenary group was accused of numerous atrocities during its deployment across Africa. A recent media investigation said that since 2021, Wagner mercenaries have detained, tortured, and forcibly disappeared hundreds of civilians in secret prisons across Mali.
