Wagner chief dismisses ‘laughable’ Washington Post story that he offered to provide Ukraine with Russian troop positions
The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group on Monday slammed reports that alleged he offered information on Russian troop positions to Ukraine as ‘laughable’ and a result of a possible smear campaign.
Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has in recent days sharpened his rhetoric against the Russian defence ministry, issuing scathing videos about Moscow’s generals.
Wagner fighters have spearheaded Moscow’s fight for the east Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and Prigozhin’s influence has skyrocketed since Moscow’s offensive.
The Washington Post published a story Sunday based on unverified US intelligence leaks on Prigozhin having contact with Ukrainian intelligence in January.
According to US documents, the newspaper said, Prigozhin had offered to Kyiv information on Russian army positions in exchange for Ukrainian troops to withdraw from areas near Bakhmut.
AFP could not verify the information reported by the Washington Post.
Prigozhin laughed off the report in an audio message posted on Telegram.
‘Reading this is of course nice. It means I am not only fighting for Russia but Zelensky is also fulfilling my orders,’ Prigozhin said.
Prigozhin has repeatedly threatened to pull Wagner out of Bakhmut unless Russia’s armed forces send ammunition. He said his troops were receiving only 10% of the shells they needed
Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Wagner private mercenary army, rages about the recent losses of Russian soldiers in Bakhmut
Mercenary chief ranks at the Russian military leadership as reports continue over Russian forces abandoning their frontlines
Ukrainian soldiers fire a cannon near Bakhmut, an eastern city where fierce battles against Russian forces have been taking place, in the Donetsk region, May 3, 2023
‘This is laughable.’
He said ‘people from Rublevka’ – a luxurious Moscow suburb home to the Russian elite – could be behind the allegations.
‘Of course they will pour as much s*** on me as they can,’ he said.
The giant explosion is thought to take out all but three of Putin’s men in the unknown location
Smoke rises after an explosion where a missile is fired at the escaping troops which appears to take out all but three of them
Last week, Prigozhin accused Moscow’s conventional army of ‘fleeing’ positions around Bakhmut.
He has repeatedly claimed that the Russian defence ministry was refusing to deliver ammunition to his soldiers.