Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, warned of the need to evacuate the Ukrainian city of Bagmut, one of the current epicenters of the war in Ukraine.
“Every day we have thousands of bodies piled up in coffins,” Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an interview published today by Semyon Bekov, a Russian blogger specializing in military affairs.
The head of the Wagner group, whose forces had been gaining importance since the beginning of the Russian invasion, said that the losses at Pakmut were five times greater than necessary due to lack of ammunition for the artillery.
Yevgeny Prigozhin confirmed that he had written to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu asking for new supplies. “If we can’t solve this ammunition shortage, we have to retreat or die, so we don’t run away like rats,” he warned.
The leader of the Wagner group is apparently considering the withdrawal of part of his troops, which, in his opinion, would mean the collapse of the Pakmut front, which would consequently affect the entire battle array in the region.
The city has been fighting for months and, according to military experts, has been losing ground until Ukrainian defenses are entrenched in a small area west of the city.
The Russian military offensive launched in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 was justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin as the need to “denazify” and militarize Ukraine for Russia’s security.
The UN presented 8,574 civilian deaths and 14,441 wounded as confirmed since the beginning of the war, which entered its 430th day today, underscoring that these numbers are much lower than the actual toll.