>>/46078/
> Al Jazeera uses term "Russian troops" very liberally, so reader may think that there are real Russian Army or at least some official entity. 
It seems they follow Reuters narration. When they refers to source as "news agency" they mean Reuters.
https://www.reuters.com/article/mali-security-russia-idAFL8N2TM47J
I still think the govt. of Mali (or whoever is in control now, colonel Goita) also profits from dress the situation as some kind of diplomatic courtship on behalf of Russia. They might try to show they have options besides the French to defend the country.
> But of course these mercenaries aren't mercenaries, and they don't even exist, we all know it.
And ofc they aren't in Russia. In Mali it's perfectly legal.