The top of the Wagner personal navy group on Monday rejected a report that he had provided to share with Ukraine the positioning of Russian Military troops round Bakhmut in change for a withdrawal of Kyiv’s forces from the realm in jap Ukraine.
The Wagner group has been a driving drive behind Russia’s monthslong battle to take Bakhmut, which has value hundreds of lives on either side and decreased a lot of the town to rubble. Its founder, Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, has publicly clashed with Russia’s navy management over the battle for the town, accusing them of ravenous his forces of ammunition.
The Washington Publish reported on Sunday {that a} U.S. intelligence doc leaked on the messaging platform Discord mentioned that Mr. Prigozhin informed contacts in Ukraine’s navy intelligence directorate that he was prepared to betray the Russian military’s areas round Bakhmut if Kyiv agreed to withdraw from round Bakhmut. A Ukrainian official informed The Publish that Mr. Prigozhin’s supply — made “greater than as soon as” — had been rejected.
In an audio statement printed on Monday by his press service, Mr. Prigozhin referred to as the report “hypothesis” and a “hoax.” He prompt that Russia’s corrupt elites, who he mentioned envied his fighters’ achievements on the entrance traces in Ukraine and had been desirous to tank his popularity, might be accountable.
Mr. Prigozhin’s mercenaries have taken lead in making an attempt to seize Bakhmut, the location of the longest and one of many bloodiest battles of the warfare, whereas Russian troops have managed the realm across the metropolis’s flanks. Over the previous few weeks, Mr. Prigozhin has stepped up his accusations of incompetence towards the Russian navy management.
Regardless of overtly feuding with prime Russian officers, Mr. Prigozhin has been cautious to not criticize President Vladimir V. Putin.
Dmitri S. Peskov, the spokesman for Mr. Putin, mentioned that he wouldn’t touch upon The Publish’s report, however mentioned that “it seems like one other hoax.”
