The head of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner dramatically announced on Friday his plans to withdraw his fighters from the town of Bakhmut, the epicentre of the fighting in eastern Ukraine, on 10 May
Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, who controls the mercenary group, has cited a lack of ammunition as the main reason – blaming the Russian Army authorities amid a growing rivalry.
“We were going to take the town of Bakhmut before 9 May. When they saw this, the military bureaucrats stopped the deliveries” of ammunition, accused the businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin in a video published by his press service.
“Therefore, from 10 May 2023, we will withdraw from Bakhmut,” he added, saying he did not want his "guys, without ammunition, to suffer unnecessary and unjustified losses."
“We are waiting for an order to leave Bakhmut. We will be in Bakhmut until 9 May (…) After that, we will go to the rear camps,” he added.
The ultimatum came after weeks of growing tensions between the Wagner group and the Russian Army.
Prigozhin has regularly accused Russian authorities of not providing his Wagner Group, on the front line of the battle for Bakhmut, with enough ammunition to deny it a victory that would overshadow the regular army.
In another particularly virulent video published on Thursday night, Prigozhin accused Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the head of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, of being responsible for Wagner’s losses.
Morbidly filming his address among dozens of bodies, claimed to be Wagner members killed in action, he says: “They died so that you can get fat in your offices!"
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“Sheygou! Gerasimov! Where are my f****** shells?!” shouts Prigozhin, his face contorted with rage and raining insults.
Wagner has suffered heavy losses in recent months trying to take the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut. The paramilitary group has conquered much of the town, but is unable to take the remaining Ukrainian positions.
While the Kremlin denies any tension within the Russian forces, Prigozhin’s latest statements prove otherwise.
Prigozhin accuses the Russian army command of preventing him from achieving a victory that would contrast with the humiliating setbacks suffered by the regular forces in recent months.
