Wagner’s mercenaries have been leading the Russian attack on the town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine for months. From the Russian side, the city is seen as a starting point for an offensive against larger cities such as Kramatorsk and Slavjansk. In recent days, the leader of Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has claimed that Russian forces have almost surrounded Bakhmut. MISSING AMMUNITION: Wagner’s leader Yevgenij Prigozhin was photographed at an unknown location at the weekend. Photo: AFP But now he claims that the mercenaries are not getting the ammunition they need. – We are trying to find out why, is it just normal bureaucracy or is it treason. Prigozhin says so in a new video. It has been posted on the messaging service Telegram and mentioned by the news agency Reuters. Ukraine still controls the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, but Russian forces are trying to take it. Fierce fighting has been going on for months. The Wagner commander is also concerned that his group may be ordered to withdraw from Bakhmut. Wagner can thus be blamed for Russia losing the war. – If Wagner is pulled out of Bakhmut now, the front will collapse, claims Prigozhin. – Critical situation Before the war, Bakhmut had a population of around 70,000. Now there will only be around 4,000 left in the bombed-out city. CRITICAL: Ukrainian military and civilian leaders say the situation around Bakhmut is very difficult. Here Ukrainian military fire at Russian occupation forces. Photo: ARIS MESSINIS / AFP The Ukrainian defense says, according to Reuters, that Russian forces are trying to advance towards Bakhmut. They bomb the city and smaller places around it. – The situation in Bakhmut can be described as critical, says Ukrainian military commentator Oleh Zhdanov. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that the country’s forces are fighting a very painful and difficult battle in the Donbass region. – I thank everyone in the army, guard forces and border guards who defend our positions in Bakhmut, says the president. The American Institute for the study of war writes that the Ukrainian forces are likely to carry out a limited tactical withdrawal from Bakhmut. Growing contradictions Prigozhin recently strongly criticized the regular Russian army in Ukraine. He claimed that the “monstrous military bureaucracy” is an obstacle in the fighting. STRONG: The Wagner Group opened a new headquarters in St. Petersburg last autumn. Photo: IGOR RUSSAK / Reuters The months-long battle for the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine has shown the contradictions that have emerged between Wagner and the regular army. Prigozhin has accused Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, of refusing to supply the mercenaries with ammunition. In the latest video, the Wagner boss also complains that he is no longer allowed to recruit prisoners for his army of mercenaries. Will limit Wagner A Norwegian military expert says that the disagreement between the parties is great. – This is an expression of a military power struggle in Russia, says Professor Tormod Heier at the Norwegian Defense Academy to news. WANT TO CHECK: Professor Tormod Heier at the Norwegian Defense Academy says that the Russian authorities are trying to limit the Wagner group’s influence. He points out that Wagner leader Prigozhin is now putting strong pressure on the Russian defense leadership. The professor points out that the Russian army has used up most of its mechanized units. Wagner can offer what the defense now needs, namely well-motivated foot soldiers. Although Russia does not lack artillery shells, Wagner gets less of this. – What is happening now reduces Prigozhin’s room for action. The Kremlin wants to control Wagner more, to get the mercenaries more under control, says Heier. He believes that the more progress Wagner has, the more confidence in the regular army will be undermined. – Trust in both President Vladimir Putin and the Russian defense chief could be weakened if the Wagner group becomes too strong, says Heier.
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Military power struggle between Wagner and Russia’s defense in Ukraine – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
