Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has shared a picture of dozens of fighters who’ve been killed, blaming the Russian Ministry of Defence of intentionally depriving them of ammunition.
Mr Prigozhin, founding father of the Wagner personal army firm which is combating on Moscow’s behalf in Ukraine, has repeatedly blamed the ministry for “shell hunger”, calling it a treasonous try and destroy the corporate.
The ministry mentioned such allegations have been “completely untrue” in a press release on Tuesday, complaining – with out mentioning Mr Prigozhin by identify – about makes an attempt to create divisions that labored “solely to the benefit of the enemy”.
Despite this, on Wednesday, Mr Prigozhin doubled down on his allegations, releasing an image of dozens of lifeless troopers laying on the icy floor in jap Ukraine, the place Wagner is battling to attempt to take the small Ukrainian metropolis of Bakhmut.
“This is one of the places where the bodies of those who have died are gathered,” he advised a outstanding Russian army blogger in an interview.
He mentioned that there ought to be 5 instances much less lifeless, and that the moms, wives and youngsters of the people will get the our bodies of their family again.
“Who is guilty that they died? The guilty ones are those who should have resolved the question of us getting enough ammo,” he added.
Taking the dispute one step additional, Mr Prigozhin launched an official assertion despatched by Wagner to the defence ministry requesting ammunition.
It contained detailed tallies of shells used, requested and acquired – although he mentioned he had blanked out delicate knowledge such because the names of the shells.
“No steps to give us ammo have been taken,” he mentioned, accusing Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu – a detailed ally of President Vladimir Putin – and Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the overall workers, of withholding their signatures from shell approval types.
In an try and safe the shells, Mr Prigozhin mentioned he had launched a social media marketing campaign and that Wagner had been diminished to begging army warehouses for ammunition, which he added was generally profitable.
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A rich catering tycoon and ex-convict, Mr Prigozhin has taken on a extra public function since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began.
But in latest weeks he has confronted push again from the authorities, amid some indicators of a transfer by the Kremlin and defence ministry to curb his rising affect.
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Despite the ammunition scarcity, he mentioned his fighters would hold making an attempt to overrun Ukraine’s Bakhmut.
“Twice as many of us are going to die that’s all, until there are none of us left,” he mentioned.
The picture launched by Mr Prigozhin comes as Mr Putin addressed some 200,000 at a rally in Moscow on Wednesday afternoon.
He mentioned Russia is “proud of those who are fighting in Ukraine to defend the fatherland”, including that the “whole country” helps them.
Source: information.sky.com”