The Ministry of Defence mistakenly emails Russia’s ally
The Ministry of Defence is conducting an investigation after classified emails were mistakenly sent to a Russian ally in West Africa due to a typing error. The intended recipients were the US military, but the “.mil” domain was misspelt, leading the emails to be directed to Mali with the “.ml” domain instead. Defence officials clarified that the emails did not contain any sensitive information that could jeopardise operational security.
The error affected only a small number of emails sent to Mali, and the Ministry of Defence assured that sensitive information within the government department is shared using systems designed to minimise the risk of misdirection.
Interestingly, a similar typing error resulted in millions of US military emails being sent to Mali earlier this month. Some of these emails were reported to contain sensitive data such as passwords, medical records, and travel itineraries of high-ranking officers.
Mali is known to have close ties with Russia, and it was one of the six African countries promised free grain shipments by Russian President Vladimir Putin following the collapse of the Black Sea deal with Ukraine. Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports led to food shortages in various regions, and Mali received support from Moscow through the deployment of Wagner mercenaries to fight alongside the Malian army against jihadists.
Recently, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced sanctions against Mali’s defence minister, air force chief, and deputy chief of staff for their involvement in coordinating the spread of Wagner in the West African country. This development adds further complexity to the situation surrounding the mistaken emails and highlights the geopolitical significance of Mali’s connections with both Russia and the US military.
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