Officials inadvertently sent classified emails to a close Russian ally as a result of a typographical error, prompting the British Ministry of Defense to launch an investigation.
A "small number" of emails meant for the Pentagon were accidentally sent to Mali due to the omission of an "i" in an email address.
Emails Meant For US Sent to Kremlin Ally Mali
British officials sent the messages to addresses terminating in the West African nation's ".ml" domain rather than the ".mil" domain of the United States military, as per The Independent.
The same error in the United States resulted in millions of military emails being sent to Mali, it was revealed last week. It was argued that the British accident, which was initially reported by The Times, paled in comparison.
A spokesperson for the defense ministry stated, "We have launched an investigation after a limited number of emails were inadvertently forwarded to the wrong email domain."
According to reports, some of these emails contained confidential information such as passwords, medical records, and the itineraries of high-ranking officers. The spokesperson added, "We are confident that they did not contain any data that could compromise operational security or technical data."
After the demise of the Black Sea agreement with Ukraine, Mali was among the six African nations that Vladimir Putin pledged free grain shipments. Wagner mercenaries from Moscow have also been sent to Mali to fight alongside the military against extremists.
According to WIO News, the British defense ministry has launched an investigation regarding the incident. The issue of the incorrect address was first reported by The Times, which also mentioned that a "limited number" of emails were accidentally sent to Mali.
A quoted ministry spokesperson said, "After a limited number of emails were inadvertently forwarded to an incorrect email domain, we have launched an investigation. We are confident that they did not include information that could compromise operational security or technical data."
Millions of US military emails containing highly confidential information were recently redirected to Mali due to the same error. However, according to the British report, the British incident was not as extensive as the American one.
The Times reported that officials sent the messages to an address terminating in the West African country's .ml domain rather than the US military's.mil. The same error in the United States resulted in millions of military emails being sent to Mali, it was revealed last week.
Per Daily Mail, Vladimir Putin pledged free grain shipments to six African nations, including Mali, after the Black Sea agreement with Ukraine collapsed. Wagner mercenaries from Moscow have also been sent to Mali to fight alongside the military against extremists.
British Official's Mistake Under Investigation
A spokesperson for the Department of Defense stated, "We have opened an investigation after a limited number of emails were inadvertently forwarded to the wrong email domain."
The Financial Times reported earlier this month that millions of US military communications were inadvertently sent to Mali. Johannes Zuurbier, a Dutch entrepreneur who was hired to administer Mali's country email domain, told the Financial Times that he had been attempting to warn the United States for a decade.
According to the Financial Times, none of these emails were classified, although some of them contained extremely sensitive information about active US military personnel, contractors, and their next of kin.
Russia has provided substantial assistance to the Malian government, spanning from military support to diplomatic aid. Wagner Group, a Kremlin-affiliated Russian mercenary organization, also conducts operations in Mali.
The British Ministry of Defense and the Malian administration did not respond promptly to requests for comment sent outside of normal business hours.
