Yevgeny Prigozhin: Wagner boss 'promised ammunition' after retreat threat

Russia's Wagner Group brag says Moscow has agreed to his demands for much ammunition, days aft helium threatened to retreat his men from Bakhmut.

On Thursday, Yevgeny Prigozhin attacked his Russian partners successful a gruesome, expletive-filled rant, filmed among dozens of Wagner troops' corpses.

The adjacent time helium said Wagner fighters would permission Bakhmut by 10 May.

But connected Sunday Prigozhin said Moscow had agreed to supply the supplies "needed to proceed fighting" successful the city.

Prigozhin's evident U-turn is not a immense surprise. He is simply a publicity seeker who has not followed done connected erstwhile threats.

Russian troops and fighters from Wagner, a backstage subject company, person been trying to seizure Bakhmut for months - contempt its questionable strategical value.

Western officials judge thousands of Russian and Wagner troops person been killed successful the fighting, and the eastbound Ukrainian metropolis has go a symbolic prize.

Yet - though Russian troops and Wagner fighters are connected the aforesaid broadside - it is an uneasy alliance.

Prigozhin has regularly criticised Russian officials for what helium claims is simply a deficiency of front-line support.

In his caller statement, Prigozhin claimed that Gen Sergei Surovikin - who commanded Russia's forces successful Ukraine betwixt October and January - had been appointed to liaise betwixt Russia's regular subject and Wagner mercenaries.

"This is the lone antheral with the prima of an service wide who knows however to fight," Prigozhin said. "No different service wide is reasonable."

While Prigozhin didn't expressly reverse his pledge to retreat troops from Bakhmut, helium said his forces had been fixed support to "act successful Bakhmut arsenic we spot fit" - appearing to suggest they volition remain.

The Kremlin has not commented connected Prigozhin's latest statement.

Wagner has its ain acceptable of commanders, objectives and motivations, and Prigozhin is wide believed to clasp his ain home governmental ambitions.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov person often been the absorption for his anger, amid reports of infighting among antithetic powerfulness groups successful Vladimir Putin's entourage.

In his connection connected Thursday, Prigozhin raged: "Shoigu! Gerasimov! Where is the... ammunition?... They came present arsenic volunteers and dice for you to fatten yourselves successful your mahogany offices."

And helium said Wagner's casualties were "growing successful geometrical progression each day" due to the fact that of the deficiency of ammunition.

At the time, Ukrainian officials expressed scepticism that Prigozhin genuinely intended to retreat his forces from Bakhmut.

Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said connected Friday that Wagner was really redeploying mercenaries towards Bakhmut successful a bid to seizure the metropolis earlier Tuesday's Victory Day celebrations successful Russia.

In different developments successful Ukraine and Russia: