Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin threatens to withdraw his troops from Bakhmut in a video address. (Archive photo) © ZUMA Wire/Imago Images
Tensions are intensifying between Moscow and "Wagner" boss Prigozhin. The oligarch no longer seems sure of victory in Bakhmut.
Moscow/Kiev – As the Ukraine war progresses, there are increasing tensions between Moscow and the mercenary force "Wagner". The paramilitary organization, led by oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, has long been considered an important piece of the puzzle in Putin's war of aggression. With its brutal crackdown, it has already supported Russian forces in numerous theaters in Ukraine, most recently in the hard-fought city of Bakhmut.
But now the mercenary squad's tireless will to fight seems to be coming to an end. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank in Washington, Prigozhin expects defeat in eastern Ukraine. Together with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, he now wants to lay the foundation for holding the Defense Ministry in Moscow responsible for "all Russian setbacks in the Bakhmut region." This was reported by the news portal Newsweek.
Wagner Group in Bakhmut: Prigozhin and Kadyrov to prepare defeat in Ukraine war
The Washington think tank believes that Prigozhin and Kadyrov are working to portray the state troops of the Russian army as "inefficient" in order to blame a possible negative outcome of the operations in Bakhmut on the Moscow leadership. Prigozhin's "Wagner" troupe has been holding the position in the eastern Ukrainian city for several months. The Chechen ruler had offered to replace the stationed mercenaries with his own "Akhmat" troops.
Putin's friend Prigozhin has so far presented the battle for the city in Donetsk "exclusively as a matter of Wagner – and now of 'Akhmat'," the ISW said. He had completely ignored the role of the Russian land troops in order to highlight his own successes. However, according to ISW assessments, both Prigozhin and Kadyrov "greatly exaggerated" the combat effectiveness of their private armies.
"With the switch from 'Wagner' to 'Akhmat' troops, possible conditions are now being created for blaming the Russian Ministry of Defense for future failures," the research institute said. According to the report, the two troop rulers could accuse the Russian government of lacking support and attribute an imminent defeat in Bakhmut.
Quarrel between Putin and Prigozhin: Oligarch tries to "save face"
The rifts between Vladimir Putin and Prigozhin have been looming for some time: at the beginning of May, the oligarch threatened to withdraw his troops from embattled Bakhmut in the middle of the month. In addition, he repeatedly denounced Russia's conduct of the war and accused Moscow of no longer supplying "promised" ammunition stocks. Meanwhile, communication with Putin is completely frozen anyway. Secret U.S. documents, in turn, revealed that the Kremlin was "frustrated" by Prigozhin's harsh public attacks.
The Wagner Group in Russia
The Wagner Group is a paramilitary organization from Russia known for its brutality and ruthlessness: Time and again, the mercenaries make headlines with videos of gruesome executions or torture. There is no military hierarchy. Since 2022 at the latest, the mercenaries have been recruited in prison camps, among other places, with the promise of remission of punishment. Previously, it was mainly former soldiers who had joined the mercenary force. The troupe is founded and led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is also known as "Putin's cook".
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The fronts between the "Wagner" boss and the Russian government seem to be hardening further and further – according to the ISW, logical precautions on the part of Prigozhin to "save face" in the event of defeat. The troop strength of the "Wagner" unit is unknown. After the discovery of several "Wagner" cemeteries in the war zones of Ukraine, experts estimate the number of fallen mercenaries at over 30,000 men. (aa)
