Trouble in Russia?
Wagner boss Prigozhin is furious: the Kremlin has cut off the lines of communication because of unwelcome demands, he says.
Moscow/Frankfurt - Yevgeny Prigozhin apparently sees his status as a key figure in the Ukraine war dwindling: the head of the Wagner mercenary group publicly complained on Thursday (March 9) that the Kremlin had been rebuffed.
Allegedly, the Russian government around Vladimir Putin has completely cut off the communication channels to Wagner.
Prigozhin does not want to accept this without complaint.
He threatened further public pressure.
Wagner boss publicly shoots at Putin: "All telephone connections cut"
According to Prigozhin, unpopular demands for more ammunition for his Wagner fighters prompted the Kremlin to take the step.
"In order to keep me from asking about ammunition, they cut all special telephone connections to the offices and Wagner units," he wrote in a telegram message to his followers, which was reported by the Moscow Times
portal, among others
.
His access to decision-making circles in the Russian government is also blocked.
Putin's circle of power in the Kremlin - the confidants of the Russian President
Putin's circle of power in the Kremlin - the confidants of the Russian President
A communicative ice age between the Wagner group and the Kremlin would be a remarkable turn of events - which the mercenary boss acknowledged with a confrontational announcement.
"Now I can only make further demands through the media," said Prigozhin, nicknamed "Putin's cook," adding, "Most likely I will."
However, this step would not be entirely new.
Prigozhin has publicly raised massive allegations since February.
Some of his men died of "shell hunger," he explained, for example, with a provocative reference to a photo of dead soldiers.
The entrepreneur and mercenary chief indirectly called on the Russian population to protest.
It would be "very significant" if every Russian simply said "Give ammunition to Wagner," Prigozhin explained in an audio message.
In the Kremlin, this should not have met with any joy - even if the mercenary boss restricted that it was not a call for rallies.
Putin and Prigoschin in the Ukraine war: What about the ammunition - and what's next for Wagner?
Some questions remain open for the time being.
For example, whether Russia is only keeping the mercenaries on a short leash, or is generally facing difficulties with the supply of ammunition.
As early as January, Ukraine had spoken of Russian stocks of certain categories of weapons being depleted.
However, this thesis has not been independently verified.
The Russian government denied such reports.
Rather, the Kremlin referred to increased arms production.
The British secret service recently saw signs of shortages in the Iranian drones that had been in use for a long time.
There is further ambiguity about the significance of the Wagner group itself. Its operation in Bachmut appears to be experiencing a "temporary tactical pause," according to the Institute for the Study of War in a situation assessment on Thursday.
"It remains unclear whether the Wagner fighters will regain their dominance in future Russian offensives," it said.
Prigozhin himself had only recently hinted at a possible end for Wagner.
And the relationship between Putin and Prigozhin remains unknown for the time being.
The relationship seemed to have cooled off some time ago - for example, when Putin made Valery Gerasimov, who had been sharply criticized by Prigoshin, commander-in-chief of the Russian army.
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