Russia's retreat in Ukraine war: Prigozhin rages against Putin's general

In the Ukraine war, the situation in Bakhmut is getting worse and worse. The Russian side allegedly suffers "significant losses." Wagner boss Prigozhin sees someone responsible. © IMAGO/Pool /Wagner Group

Once again, Yevgeny Prigozhin makes serious accusations. Due to the Ukrainian offensive near Bakhmut, the focus of his attack is on the Minister of Defence.

Munich – Is the wait for Ukraine's counteroffensive over? Is it the first forays or is it already the turning point in the Ukraine war? At the very least, it seems to be another setback in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. On Friday, Russia's Defense Ministry acknowledged for the first time since November last year that Russian troops will have to withdraw on individual sectors of the front. In addition to Vladimir Putin, you don't like this very fact: Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The Wagner boss has been lamenting for days and weeks that his Wagner group is not receiving any ammunition and that his mercenaries in the battle for Bakhmut are now threatened with encirclement. According to him, other mercenary groups, as well as forces of the Russian army, are not able to hold the flanks.

Russia admits withdrawal in Ukraine war: "To increase stability of defense"

Officially, President Vladimir Putin's Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on the current situation in the Ukraine war on Friday: The "enemy" had carried out "offensive operations along the total of more than 95 kilometers of contact line", using "more than a thousand military personnel, up to 40 tanks and other military and special equipment". This was followed by the admission, which had been denied the day before with the words:

"Statements by individual Telegram channels about 'defensive breakthroughs' that would have taken place at various points along the line of contact do not correspond to reality." So now the turnaround: "In order to increase the stability of the defense," Russian units have taken up positions along the lake "taking into account the favorable conditions of the Berchowski reservoir," the ministry in Moscow announced about the withdrawal in the Ukraine war.

Prigozhin attacks Putin's general: Russia shows further signs of weakness in Ukraine war

The renewed sign of weakness in the Ukraine war is unlikely to make the powerful in the Kremlin around Putin particularly positive. Prigozhin, who, according to his own statement, was "brazenly deceived" by the Kremlin, also seems to be seething because of developments in the Ukraine war and especially the situation in Bakhmut. After all, it was Wagner mercenaries who had made the incursions into the city with heavy losses, without ever bringing it fully under their control.

Prigozhin, with whom the Kremlin is allegedly losing patience, has identified a new old scapegoat for the recent setbacks in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and addressed his accusations in a sarcastic letter to Putin's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Ukraine war: Prigozhin blames Putin's general for setbacks in Bakhmut

"You with your many years of experience in warfare," says Prigozhin's sarcastic letter, which he addresses directly to Putin's general in the Kremlin, Serg Shoigu. The Minister of Defense should see "how the enemy made successful counter-attacks where units of the Ministry of Defense guard the flanks." Prigozhin's statements were primarily related to Ukraine's territorial gains near Bakhmut. Recently, he had simply accused the Russian army of "fleeing".

According to current estimates, so far there are only a few square kilometers that the army of Ukraine has been able to regain through targeted advances in recent days. Nevertheless, these conquests could be a harbinger of the offensive in the coming months that Prigozhin had recently warned about. At the center of the fighting were probably six places west of Bakhmut, where Russia's army had been pushed back and apparently suffered not inconsiderable losses.

War in Ukraine: Prigozhin urges Shoigu to get an idea of the situation in Bakhmut

Meanwhile, to substantiate Prigozhin's statements, loyal military bloggers of the head of the Wagner mercenaries have probably published maps of the war in Ukraine, which are said to show the alleged retreat of the Russian army in the vicinity of Bakhmut. That is why Prigozhin called on his arch-enemy in the Kremlin to go to Bakhmut himself to get an idea of the catastrophic situation on the ground.

Russia can look back on various conquests in the Ukraine war and holds almost a sixth of Ukraine's territory. Recent events are causing an uproar among Russian military bloggers. They see this as the prelude to the counteroffensive.

Ukraine war: Has the major offensive against Russia already begun?

Whether it is really the start of the major offensive against Russia in the Ukraine war cannot be said at present. It may also be just a first pinprick, as Ukraine's expected counteroffensive could also start in another place or locations. After all, instead of a large-scale offensive, military strategists in Kiev could also focus on smaller attacks on various sectors of the front.

In the meantime, however, this is only pure speculation. What is certain, however, is that the major offensive has probably not yet begun. After all, neither the new brigades trained by the West nor contingents of Leopard and Challenger tanks were involved in the latest advances. Bradley, Marder or infantry fighting vehicles also apparently played no role in the recent conquests in the area around Bakhmut.

But Prigozhin's reaction already provides insights into how the Wagner boss would react to the start of the major offensive and who he would blame for further territorial losses in Russia's army.