Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia’s Wagner group of mercenaries, warns that without additional ammunition, the frontline in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut will crumble, putting Russia’s borders in danger. Prigozhin’s troops are described as the « cement » holding the frontline together and the last line of defense to win the war. He criticizes the actions of Russia’s defense chiefs and last month accused embattled defense minister Sergei Shoigu and others of « treason » for withholding supplies of munitions to his militia.
Since the demotion of Sergei Surovikin – an army general close to Prigozhin who was previously in command of Russia’s armed forces – in December, Wagner has found itself starved of ammunition and support. It comes as a British Ministry of Defense intelligence update claimed that Russia is now deploying 60-year-old armored vehicles to the frontlines in the face of heavy losses.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, the exiled mayor of Melitopol claims that two powerful explosions, likely a Ukrainian attack on a pair of Russian military bases, killed scores of Putin’s troops.
