Ukraine wary of Russian warlord’s claims Wagner fighters will leave Bakhmut

Ukraine reacted with caution to a claim that Russia’s Wagner mercenary group would pull out of the contested city of Bakhmut next week due to heavy losses and ammunition shortages that it blamed on top defence officials in Moscow.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner group, posted a foul-mouthed tirade on social media against Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu and its top general, Valery Gerasimov, as he stood among what he said were the corpses of dozens of his fighters, and then announced that his private army was poised to end its months-long bid to take Bakhmut.

“I declare on behalf of the Wagner fighters, on behalf of the Wagner command, that on May 10th, 2023, we are obliged to transfer positions in the settlement of Bakhmut to units of the defence ministry and withdraw the remains of Wagner to logistics camps to lick our wounds,” he said. “I am pulling Wagner units out of Bakhmut because in the absence of ammunition they are doomed to perish senselessly.”

Echoing earlier allegations, Mr Prigozhin said “envious” Russian bureaucrats had created “artificial shortages” of artillery ammunition for Wagner, hampering its bid to take Bakhmut, where he claimed his fighters now control all but 2.5sq km of the devastated city in Donetsk region.

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Russia's Wagner chief says his forces will leave Bakhmut on May 10

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“By not giving us shells, you do not deprive us of victory, you deprive the Russian people of victory,” he said, before adding: “We will lick our wounds, and when Russia is in danger, we will stand again in its defence. The Russian people can count on us.”

Earlier, he ranted and cursed into a camera about the alleged failings of Mr Shoigu and Gen Gerasimov while standing before rows of what he said were the dead bodies of Wagner fighters killed recently by the Ukrainian defenders of Bakhmut.

“Now listen to me, you f***ers. These are someone’s f***ing fathers and someone’s sons. And those scumbags who don’t give us shells will go to hell ... We are short of shells by 70 per cent,” he shouted.

“Shoigu, Gerasimov! Where are the f***ing shells?” he continued.

“You scum sit there in your expensive clubs. Your kids are enjoying life, making their little YouTube videos. You think you’re masters of this life and so you have the right to decide about their lives,” Mr Prigozhin said, pointing to the corpses lying on the ground behind him.

“They came here as volunteers and are dying so that you can get fat in your redwood offices. Think about that!”

[ ‘For a long time Wagner were regarded as scruffy mercenaries. Western armies have finally woken up’ ]

Mr Prigozhin took part in a recruitment drive in Russian prisons last year to add thousands of convicts to the ranks of Wagner, which was founded as a secretive group of experienced military veterans that fought for Moscow’s interests and monetary gain in Ukraine, Syria, Libya and elsewhere.

His influence grew from his perceived links to Vladimir Putin, and he has not personally criticised Russia’s leader of 23 years, even while lambasting other senior officials and portraying himself as a patriotic “man of the people” who is derisive of his country’s corruption-tainted elite.

The Kremlin declined to comment on Mr Prigozhin’s statements, but Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had destroyed a bridge near Bakhmut that was vital to Ukrainian supply lines in the area.

“The enemy is trying with all its might to take control of Bakhmut by May 9th,” said Ukraine’s deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar. “To fulfil this task, they are pulling up Wagner fighters to Bakhmut from across the entire offensive line.”

Russia celebrates its Victory Day holiday on May 9th to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany, which the Kremlin invokes to drum up support for its invasion of Ukraine.