Wagner boss says his representative barred from Russian army HQ in Ukraine
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Wagner's boss Yevgeny Prigozhin had complained that Russian military leadership is belittling his contribution.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MOSCOW - Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said his representative had been denied access to the headquarters of Russia’s military command in Ukraine on Monday, in a deepening of his rift with the defence establishment.
He said the incident came after he urgently requested ammunition supplies from the commander of what Russia calls its “special military operation” (SMO).
“On March 5, I wrote a letter to the commander of the SMO grouping about the urgent need to allocate ammunition. On March 6, at 8am, my representative at the headquarters had his pass cancelled and was denied access,” Mr Prigozhin said via his press service on Telegram.
Since mid-January, Russia’s campaign in Ukraine has been commanded personally by the chief of the general staff, Army General Valery Gerasimov.
Mr Prigozhin’s private militia, Wagner, has led much of the heaviest fighting for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, but he has complained bitterly for weeks that the military leadership is belittling its contribution.
In a video published at the weekend, he repeated earlier complaints that his men were being deprived of ammunition.
“If Wagner retreats from Bakhmut now, the whole front will collapse,” Mr Prigozhin said in the video, apparently filmed in a bunker.
“The situation will not be sweet for all military formations protecting Russian interests.”
Reuters could not independently verify when and where the video, which was not published on Mr Prigozhin’s usual Telegram channel, had been recorded. A prominent critic of the mercenary boss said, without providing evidence, that it was two weeks old.
Mr Prigozhin also said his units had “practically surrounded Bakhmut”,
He said on Monday: “We are continuing to smash the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Bakhmut.”
Bakhmut is the bloodiest and longest-running battle of Russia’s year-long campaign in Ukraine, even though analysts suggest the city has little strategic significance.
Ukraine’s presidency said on Monday that the country’s top military commanders are in favour of strengthening their defensive positions in the embattled eastern town of Bakhmut, after reports Kyiv may have begun withdrawing.
Observers say both Russia and Ukraine are trying to exhaust each other to limit the opponent’s ability to mount any further offensive in the coming months.
With Russian forces reporting gains to encircle the city, the US-based Institute for the Study of War says the Ukrainians may have initiated a strategic retreat from the city. “Ukrainian forces are likely conducting a limited tactical withdrawal in Bakhmut, although it is still too early to assess Ukrainian intentions concerning a complete withdrawal from the city,” it said in a recent analytical note.
In Kyiv, Ukraine’s air force said on Monday that it had shot down 13 out of 15 explosive drones launched from southern Russia overnight after air raid sirens sounded for hours in the capital city.
Russia has been launching missile and drone hits at Ukraine’s critical infrastructure since October, spurring Kyiv to bolster its air defence systems with Western help.
The head of the city’s military administration, Mr Sergiy Popko, said that drones had been heading for Kyiv but Ukraine’s air defence forces downed them and they did not cause injuries or hit infrastructure.
Ukraine has become better able to withstand Russian air attacks after receiving new missile defence systems from Western allies including the United States and Britain.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said Kyiv has fulfilled all the recommendations of the European Union as his war-battered nation pushes to begin talks to join the bloc.
Mr Shmygal said Ukraine has appointed Mr Semen Kryvonos, 40, as the new head of its National Anti-Corruption Bureau, and this completed a set of reforms required by the EU.
“Ukraine has fulfilled all seven EU recommendations,” he tweeted. “This demonstrates our determination to move on to the start of accession negotiations this year.”
Ukraine applied to join shortly after Russia invaded on Feb 24, 2022, and received formal candidate status from the EU in June. REUTERS, AFP
