The Russian Defense Ministry viewed statements by the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgueni Prigozhin, as “definitely false” statements that the military had stopped supplying ammunition to fighters in Donbass, and deemed the decision “treason” of the military high command.
“The leadership of the joint group of troops (in Ukraine) pays special, constant and priority attention to providing everything necessary for volunteers and soldiers of the assault units,” said the Defense Ministry, which qualifies the mercenaries of the assault units. the Wagner group as “volunteers”.
The department headed by Sergei Shoigu stressed that the total advance against the defensive positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of the Russian assault units in the area of the city of Bakhmut in the past two days was “more than two and a half kilometers”.
“The success of combat operations would not have been possible without the full fire support of the offensive by artillery, armored vehicles and other firearms,” he added.
In the statement, the Russian Defense Ministry emphasizes that despite “difficult weather conditions in the Bakhmut area, 18 raids with attack aircraft have been carried out in recent days to support the offensive”.
“Thereforeall ‘hot-headed’ statements about the lack of ammunition are absolutely false,” he underlined.
He argued that between 18 and 20 February alone, “the volunteers” of the attack squadrons received 1,660 rockets for multiple rocket launchers, 10,171 ammunition for artillery guns and large caliber mortars, in addition to 980 shells for tanks.
“All requests for the supply of ammunition to the assault units will be answered as soon as possible. So it was and so it will be,” he stressed, adding that all requests submitted before February will be fully processed in the coming days. Met.
The Russian Defense explained that ammunition deliveries will begin on Saturday, according to the order submitted for March.
“In total, the assault detachments’ ammunition needs were met with 140% of the requests received over the past year. This is our priority,” he stressed.
In the statement, the ministry also says that attempts to “split the narrow mechanism of interaction and support between divisions of the Russian group are counterproductive and only benefit the enemy”.
On Monday, Prigozhin, who maintains a tense relationship with the defense ministry’s political and military command, denounced a “complete lack of ammunition” in the ranks of mercenaries fighting in Donbass and demanded more projectiles.
Prigozhin, known for his close ties to the Kremlin, said the defense had so far “remained deaf” to his requests.
He also stressed that when General Sergei Surovikin commanded the Russian forces in Ukraine “there were no problems with ammunition”.
On Tuesday, he also accused Shoigu and Gerasimov – the current commander of the Russian armed forces – of “treason” for wanting to “destroy” his mercenary company by allegedly forbidding the supply of ammunition to combatants.
Prigozhin had already accused the Russian defenses of depriving him of victories in the past, citing as an example the operation to take the Ukrainian stronghold of Bakhmut, where the Wagner group captured several cities.
Source: DN
