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Wagner chief accuses Russian army of leaving his
troops exposed in Bakhmut
Yevgeny
Prigozhin, the chief of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, on Thursday accused
regular Russian army units of pulling back 570 metres 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
defence 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 defence ministry to do all it could to protect
Bakhmut’s flanks after what he alleged was a withdrawal.
“Unfortunately,
units of the Russian defence ministry have withdrawn up to 570 metres to the
north of Bakhmut, exposing our flanks,” Prigozhin said in a voice message.
“I am
appealing to the top leadership of the ministry of defence – publicly – because
my letters are not being read,” Prigozhin said.
“Please do
not give up the flanks,” he said, addressing the Russian defence minister,
Sergei Shoigu, and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff.
Wagner says
it has taken most of the shattered city, albeit at enormous human cost. But
Ukraine says its forces have retaken territory around Bakhmut in recent days.
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