Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozchin recently sharpened the tone towards Moscow. He threatened to withdraw his troops from Bakhmut. Apparently his threats were heard.
After announcing their withdrawal from the embattled Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the Russian mercenary group Wagner claims to have received the ammunition and reinforcements it needs from Moscow. “We have been promised as much ammunition and weapons as necessary to continue the fighting,” the head of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said on Sunday on the Telegram channel of his press service.
In addition, he received flank protection so that his units did not risk being surrounded. Moscow initially did not comment on this. General Sergei Surovikin is responsible for coordinating the mercenaries with the regular units — “the only person with a general’s star who knows anything about fighting,” Prigozhin said.
In the past, Prigozhin had repeatedly blamed the Russian Defense Ministry for the heavy casualties suffered by his mercenaries in Bakhmut. Due to a lack of artillery ammunition, losses during the storming of the city were five times higher than necessary, he said.
Prigozhin speaks of “tens of thousands” dead
That is why he recently announced the withdrawal of his units from May 10. During the night he had justified the decision with the imminent danger of his troops being crushed. He claimed that 50,000 Ukrainians died in the Battle of Bakhmut, but at the same time admitted that there were “tens of thousands” killed and wounded on his own side.
Prigozhin, like Surovikins or the Chechen ruler Ramzan Kadyrov, whose units would take over the Wagner positions in Bakhmut, is considered a hardliner in Russia’s offensive war against Ukraine. Experts speak of a power struggle within the Russian elite, further reducing the efficiency of Moscow’s warfare.
Russia threatens with economic crisis
In addition, according to British estimates, Russia is threatened by a serious economic crisis. The country is facing its worst labor shortage in decades, the defense ministry announced in London on Sunday, citing information from the Russian central bank.
“In the past three years, Russia’s population has reportedly shrunk to two million more people than expected because of Corona and the war in Ukraine,” it said in London. By 2022 alone, up to 1.3 million people are expected to have left the country, including many young and well-educated people from high-value areas such as the IT industry.
“Mobilisation, historically high levels of emigration and an aging and declining population are limiting labor supply,” the statement said. “This is likely to lead to a reduction in the potential growth of the Russian economy and fuel inflation.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
