Wagner threatens to leave Bakhmut after criticizing Russia for lack of ammunition

Bakhmut, the scene of one of the bloodiest battles since World War II, could represent a change in Russian invasion strategy.

Wagner, the group of Russian mercenaries that leads many of Moscow’s operations in the ongoing conflict, announced its withdrawal from the disputed city as of May 10. A change in the direction of this organization that until a few weeks ago claimed to control 80% of the city in eastern Ukraine.

In a video recorded next to the corpses of Russian men, the founder of the private paramilitary force, Yevgeny Prigozhin, maintained that the decision was due to the heavy human losses among his ranks, due to the inadequate supply of ammunition from Moscow.

“I am pulling Wagner’s units out of Bakhmut because, in the absence of ammunition, they are doomed to perish senselessly,” Prigozhin noted,

Prigozhin lashed out at the Russian Ministry of Defense and the high military command of the invading country for the shortage of supplies, which now forces him to back down on the total takeover of the town. According to the head of the group, his units were on their way to take Bakhmut on May 9, but “when they saw this, the military bureaucrats stopped the deliveries. [de municiones]”.

“These are Wagner boys who died today. The blood is still fresh (…) They came here as volunteers and they are dying so that you can fatten up in your offices,” questioned the leader of the paramilitary force, who since before the war in Ukraine it has been questioned for its crimes committed in other nations where they have supported Russia, mainly in Africa and Syria.

The words of Prigozhin, a man known until now for his closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin, glimpse the internal divisions between the invading forces, which the Kremlin has previously tried to deny. Furthermore, he would exhibit Moscow’s difficulties in providing its men with the necessary military equipment in order to achieve their occupationist aspirations.

“We have a 70% shortage of ammunition. Shoigu! Gerasimov! Where is the ammunition? (…) Those responsible would go to hell,” Prigozhin yelled visibly angry, addressing Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu directly, and to the chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov.

Change of strategy in the war in eastern Ukraine?

Although it is yet to be confirmed whether Wagner will actually withdraw from Bakhmut in the coming days, if it does, the mercenaries must be replaced by Russian soldiers, according to Prigozhin in the images released this Friday.

“We are obliged to transfer positions in the Bakhmut settlement to Defense Ministry units and remove Wagner’s remains to logistic camps to lick our wounds,” he said.

But Wagner has so far been a crucial element in the advances of the invading troops, especially in the east of the invaded country, and it is not clear if the Russian Army military will maintain the occupation of the 80% of Bakhmut that the group claimed to have in its hands three weeks ago, in the midst of the Ukrainian resistance.

Bakhmut lies in ruins and has been the center of one of the bloodiest battles of this war, with a fierce dispute starting last summer.

While some military experts have previously indicated that an eventual Moscow takeover of Bakhmut would not drastically alter the overall course of the war, in eastern Ukraine, where little land has changed hands in the In recent months, the small town has important land connections with other parts of the Donetsk region, to which it belongs, and with the neighboring Lugansk region.

Its eventual fall into Russian hands would leave the nearby industrial cities of Kostiantynivka and Kramatorsk at the mercy of artillery. Russian. A scenario that could change if kyiv takes advantage of the spaces that Wagner would leave.

Russia’s losses in the war against Ukraine have been enormous and the difficulties are varied, the United States and Britain’s Defense Ministry, which monitors the war, have said.

London points out that Moscow has suffered heavy casualties of experienced soldiers and has sent poorly trained reservists into the field. Furthermore, he stresses the lack of training facilities and equipment among their ranks.

However, Russia remains the most powerful army in the world and in recent months Washington has put on the table the possibility of China sending weapons to Moscow, something that Beijing denies so far.

Faced with the setbacks, the Kremlin will have to consider new strategies in the spaces that Wagner would leave, especially when the announced counteroffensive of the Ukrainian Army approaches, recently strengthened with almost 100% of the combat vehicles and ammunition promised by the NATO allies.

Lavrov threatens kyiv with “concrete actions” after alleged attempted attack

Meanwhile, senior Russian officials are concentrating on their accusations against Ukraine for the alleged attempted attack on the Kremlin, which reportedly occurred on May 3. An attack that, according to Moscow, would have had the objective of attempting the life of President Vladimir Putin, who was not at the scene.

This Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov promised “concrete actions” by his government against the neighboring country in response to the alleged assault with two drones that were intercepted by Moscow, according to his version.

“It was clearly a hostile act, it is clear that the Kiev terrorists could not have committed it without the knowledge of their masters,” Lavrov said, referring to the United States, although Washington distanced itself a day before these remarks.

“We will not respond by talking about ‘casus belli’ or not, we will respond with concrete actions,” Lavrov added, using a Latin term for an action that justifies war.

The Ukrainian government has also categorically denied its participation in the alleged attack and points out that it would be a “pretext” for the Kremlin to justify new actions against its nation in the coming days.

With Reuters and AP