Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, on Thursday, accused regular Russian army units of pulling back 570 meters north of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, leaving his own fighters’ flanks exposed.
Reuters was unable to verify his assertion and there was no immediate comment from the defense ministry.
Wagner forces have been spearheading the assault on Bakhmut, one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the war, something Moscow calls “a special military operation,” with some support from the regular army in recent months.
Prigozhin, who has repeatedly accused Russia’s top military brass of not doing enough to back his men, asked the defense ministry to do all it could to protect Bakhmut’s flanks after what he alleged was a withdrawal.
Unfortunately, units of the Russian defense ministry have withdrawn up to 570 meters to the north of Bakhmut, exposing our flanks. I am appealing to the top leadership of the Ministry of Defense – publicly – because my letters are not being read.”
Prigozhin said
Please do not give up the flanks, he said, addressing Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff.
Wagner says it has taken most of the shattered city – albeit at an enormous human cost. But Ukraine says its forces have retaken territory around Bakhmut in recent days.
Moscow sees Bakhmut, a city of about 70,000 before the war, as a potential stepping stone toward capturing the rest of the eastern industrial Donbas region bordering Russia.
