“Until today, no one has come to provide us with the necessary ammunition … to supply them in the necessary size. There can be no attack without destroying the enemy’s weapons … without defeating enemy (combat) systems,” Prigozhin added in an audio message on his media service channel on Telegram.
He stressed that the “Wagner” forces lacked ammunition and could no longer continue their attacks near the city, besieged by the Russians for ten months.
He continued, “Because I will lead more men to certain death. On May 10 we will begin to withdraw the units.”
He said his forces had captured 95% of Bakhmut, a town in eastern Ukraine which had a population of more than 70,000 before the war.
He concluded: “The remaining five percent do not constitute any significance in the so-called successful advance and march of the (Russian) Red Army westward (western Ukraine).”
Russia’s plan to ‘punish Wagner’
Leaked US intelligence documents revealed features of the raging dispute between the Russian military and the “Wagner” group, according to the “Washington Post”.
Prigozhin has repeatedly entered into public disputes with the Russian Ministry of Defense over the war in Ukraine and complained about Moscow, which does not supply its forces with enough ammunition, according to its statements, and said that as a result, Wagner had suffered heavy and unnecessary losses. .
Prigozhin also criticizes the Russian Defense Ministry, saying it “steals Wagner’s victories”, claiming its regular forces have made gains near Bakhmut.
On Friday, the “Wagner” forces announced their intention to withdraw from Bakhmut, which sees the fiercest battles of the Ukrainian war, by May 10, due to a shortage of ammunition and recorded losses .
The Washington Post report
• The newspaper reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin is siding with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in the escalating conflict with Wagner.
• She added that “loud statements by Prigozhin fell on deaf ears” from Moscow, noting that the threat to give up fighting in Bakhmut is a last attempt to cling to a leading role in the war in Ukraine.
• According to leaked US intelligence documents, Russian military leaders are “disappointed” with Prigozhin’s public statements that they have discussed how to respond to his criticisms.
• Russian Defense Ministry officials have considered the idea of ”launching a general campaign to discredit Prigozhin by proxy”, according to the same documents.
• A document described as “top secret” stated: “Officials initially noted that if the Ministry of Defense tried to counter Prigozhin’s public statements, they should find allies in the same position to fight him rather than do so. themselves. »
• The document adds: “However, they ultimately did not know how the Ministry of Defense could successfully wage an information war against Prigozhin, as long as the Russian government did not prevent him from issuing public statements.”
• The document stated that “the information was obtained by intercepting or eavesdropping on communications”.
• It should be noted that Prigozhin said on Saturday that he intended to hand over areas controlled by ‘Wagner’ in Bakhmut to Chechen forces led by President Ramzan Kadyrov, apparently referring to his group’s withdrawal from the city.
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