Posted on 03/06/2023 9:22:36 AM PST by jerod
The founder of Russia's Wagner mercenary force has said his troops now tightening their grip on the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut are being deprived of ammunition and that, if they are forced to retreat, the entire front will collapse.
Yevgeny Prigozhin had said on Friday that his units had "practically surrounded Bakhmut," where fighting has intensified in the past week after months of attritional warfare, with Russian forces attacking from three sides.
Wagner often appears to operate autonomously from the regular army, or even in competition with it, and in a video published over the weekend, Prigozhin complained that the ammunition that Moscow had promised it had not been delivered.
"If Wagner retreats from Bakhmut now, the whole front will collapse," Prigozhin said. "The situation will not be sweet for all military formations protecting Russian interests."
Reuters could not independently verify when and where the video was recorded. It was published not on Prigozhin's usual press service Telegram channel, but on one that has associated itself with Wagner and disseminated news about Prigozhin.
On his usual channel, Prigozhin also mentioned the lack of ammunition, saying on Sunday: "For now, we are trying to figure out the reason: Is it just ordinary bureaucracy, or a betrayal?"
Prigozhin regularly criticizes the military hierarchy and last month accused Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and others of "treason" for withholding munitions. Shoigu has been visiting forces in Ukraine to award medals and meet commanders and on Monday was in the eastern city of Mariupol, captured by Russian forces last year after a months-long siege.
In the nearly four-minute video published on the Wagner Orchestra Telegram channel on Saturday, Prigozhin said his troops were worried that Moscow wanted to set them up as potential scapegoats if Russia lost the war.
"If we retreat, then we will go down in history forever as people who have taken the main step towards losing the war," he said.
"This is exactly the problem with 'ammunition hunger'."
Russian nationalist ex-rebel commander Igor Girkin, a prominent opponent of Prigozhin's, said without citing evidence that the doom-laden video published on the weekend had been recorded at the height of that row, about two weeks ago.
Prigozhin has used the war to become a public figure in Russia, and strong signs have emerged in the past month that the Kremlin wants to clip his wings after he began feuding with the defence establishment.
The Defence Ministry said last month it was "absolutely untrue" that Wagner was being starved of ammunition...
Russian unit disobey orders: unconfirmed reports
Belgorod borders Ukraine's Kharkiv region and has repeatedly come under fire since the beginning of Russia's invasion. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia.
Near Vuhledar, southwest of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk, Ukraine said senior officers of Russia's 155th Brigade, which Kyiv says suffered heavy recent losses, were refusing to obey orders to attack.
"The leaders of the brigade and senior officers are refusing to proceed with a new senseless attack as demanded by their unskilled commanders — to storm well-defended Ukrainian positions with little protection or preparation," Ukraine's military said in a statement.
Military analyst Zhdanov said two "Cossack" Russian units known as Steppe and Tiger had expressed frustration with their commanders and refused to take part in any new offensive on the hilltop town.
Reuters could not immediately verify the reports.
Both.
We former types maintain certain circles.
Oh, you were being sarcastic. Hard to tell over some text.
Good luck. I really don’t care what you think. Keep your fingers out my wallet and away from my countrymen and my resources and you won’t have a problem.
There you go again, ranting about something that doesnt exist as a result of anything I have said or done. Feeling cranky? Maybe its nap time.
Many in the west including NATO want to keep gong. Canada is talking about conscription for this. I’ve lost too many brothers to the evil causes of the west.
And to think that he was Putin's chef and caterer at Kremlin events. But Prigozhin really became a billionaire via Putin granting him exclusive contracts to provide lunches and food for Russian school children. Not all of Russia, but enough of it. Moscow, St Petersburg and so on.
Many in the west...recognize the threat that Russian expansion has posed over several conflicts the last 10-15 years under Putin trying to rebuild the USSR as a reborn Russian empire.
All (NATO, US, etc) have avoided sending troops to fight in the stead of Ukrainians, but have generously given support, both to aide the Ukrainian defenders, and to prevent Russia from rubbing up against the next domino, likely Poland, as Putin seeks his selfish spot in history (at much cost to all around him).
Good to see that Neville Chamberlains such as yourself are no longer a drag on our military leadership, but thank you for your service.
Perhaps Progozhin is being set up to be the patsy when Russia retreats?
Bul is based in st Petersburg’s troll district
I’d set you straight, but after what you posted, it tells me you’re so far out of touch with reality that I won’t bother.
Men like me still in combat age and shape aren’t worried about Russia. Our own gov is out to get us. Far more immediate and much closer.
I’d set you straight, but after what you posted, it tells me you’re so far out of touch with reality that I won’t bother.
Men like me still in combat age and shape aren’t worried about Russia. Our own gov is out to get us. Far more immediate and much closer.
I have spent a year of my life, total, in Canada. CBC is an adult channel, head and shoulders above CBS or MSNBC. They are more or less reflexively liberal, but nowhere nearly as anti-American as CBS.
That would explain a lot.
Putin is a student of Zapp Brannigan
ROFLOL
Yes something doesn’t add up and all kinds of other ridiculous statements that dismiss reality.
It’s not just somebody made a video this is the well known leader of the Wagner group and there is a well known dispute going on between him and the Russian general command.
The thing that isn’t right is you don’t want to accept any reality other than your own.
If things like this weren’t true the Russians would have taken Kiev last year. Instead they are stuck battling for bachmut.
Kidding aside, my enemies do fear. You’re not my enemy, just ignorant. Ignorance doesn’t make you the enemy. You’ve got no reason to fear.
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