The leader of the Wagner paramilitary group on Friday accused the Russian army of carrying out attacks on the camps of his mercenaries, resulting in “a very large number of casualties”, allegations denied by Russia’s defense ministry.
“They carried out attacks, rocket attacks, on the back of our camps. A very large number of our fighters were killed”underlined Yevgeny Prigozhin in an audio message broadcast by his press service.
Prigozhin also assured that he will take revenge for these attacks which, according to the leader of the Wagner group, were ordered by the Russian defense minister.
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s message was accompanied by a video of about a minute, which showed a devastated forest, some fires and at least the body of a soldier.
The Russian army has already denied carrying out attacks on camps belonging to the Wagner group.
“The messages and videos posted by Prigozhin on social media about alleged ‘attacks by the Russian Ministry of Defense on the rear bases of the Wagner paramilitary group’ do not correspond to reality and are a provocation”the Russian government said in a statement.
These strong accusations from Prigozhin expose the deep tensions within Moscow’s troops over the offensive in Ukraine.
The leader of the Wagner group had said on Friday that the Russian army is retreating to several sectors of southern and eastern Ukraine, Kherson and Zaporijia respectively, contradicting Moscow’s claims that the Kiev counter-offensive was a failure.
Prigozhin said the same is happening in Bakhmut, where Ukrainian troops are breaking into Russian defenses.
“There is no control, there are no military successes” from Moscow, Prigozhin stated, claiming that the Russian army was “washing itself in its own blood,” a way of saying it was suffering heavy casualties.
Prigozhin’s comments, which cannot be independently verified, contradict Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who said the military repelled all Ukrainian attacks.
Putin has repeatedly reiterated in recent days that the Ukrainian counter-offensive has failed and that Kiev’s forces have suffered near catastrophic losses.
On Thursday, Shoigu said the Ukrainian army was regrouping after failing to break through Russian defenses.
Prigozhin described the victorious statements of the Moscow Defense Ministry as a “profound mistake” and accused the General Staff of hiding Russian difficulties and losses on the ground.
Source: DN
