A Russian soldier is said to have been killed in Mali.

In Hombori, Mali's central Mopti district, a Russian soldier is said to have lived murdered.

According to the AFP news agency, a "Russian advisor" struck an improvised explosive device on Tuesday morning, according to a military memo.

The Russian died after being evacuated to a hospital in the central town of Sevare, according to the report.

According to the AFP, the death was confirmed by an anonymous Sevare hospital official as well as an elected official.

The army of Mali has remained silent about the situation.

The Malian junta has denied that mercenaries from Russia's paramilitary organization Wagner are helping with counterinsurgency operations.

It comes after the UN accused Malian authorities of blocking UN human rights investigators from visiting a hamlet where hundreds of people were slaughtered on Wednesday.

Hundreds of people were massacred by Malian forces and their Russian allies during an operation against insurgents last month.

Mali said the victims were militants, while Russia denied any involvement in the operation.