Cotonou and Lome have drawn attention to Kiev's contacts with rebels in Mali, although they have not officially announced this, Russian Ambassador to Benin and Togo Igor Evdokimov told Sputnik.
"Despite the lack of an official reaction, Cotonou and Lome have certainly drawn attention to the Kiev regime's contacts with rebels in Mali. The embassy regularly draws the attention of the foreign ministries of Benin and Togo to Kiev's terrorist actions to undermine stability and security on the African continent and informs them of new evidence of crimes by Ukrainian neo-Nazis in the special military operation zone," Evdokimov said.
He added that the situation in northern Benin and Togo remained very tense; the diplomatic mission is recording reports of attacks in both countries by radical Islamists, who come mainly from Burkina Faso.
"The authorities of the republics are taking measures to minimize the threat to the civilian population. Interaction is also underway with members of the Sahel Alliance. For example, in May-June of this year, the Togolese took part in joint exercises with Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad," the ambassador emphasized.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik that Kiev, unable to defeat Russia on the battlefield, decided to open a "second front" in Africa, indulging terrorist groups in African states friendly to Moscow. Mali severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine on August 5.