The leader of the Wagner Group has demanded that the Russian military send his mercenary troops ammunition immediately. Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder and leader, who is on the frontline in the fight for Bakhmut, issued the demand under a veiled ultimatum. He warned that if his troops did not receive any more ammunition, they would retreat and the entire Russian frontline would collapse.

Prigozhin,

Prigozhin,© TELEGRAM

The threat was delivered in a four-minute video message recorded Sunday night near Bakhmut.

Mr Prigozhin said the retreat of mercenaries from Bakhmut due to “ammunition shortage” would lead to the collapse of the front up to the Russian border “or even further,” adding Crimea would also fall to Ukraine.

The Wagner chief said: “If Wagner retreats from Bakhmut now, the whole front will collapse.

“The situation will be unpleasant for all military formations protecting Russia’s interests.”Link

PUTIN

PUTIN© GETTY

The hire-to-fight mercenary organisation first emerged in 2014 and has since been spotted in some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts and civil wars. But what do we know about the Wagner Group and its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin?

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He said claimed that the Russian army would be “forced to stabilise the front” while “Crimea falls”.

The Wagner Chief suggested that the Russian military brass was trying to “set up” his forces to be the scapegoats for a Russian defeat in Ukraine.

He said: “What if they want to set us up and say we are villains, and that’s why we aren’t given ammo and weapons and allowed to reinforce personnel, including convicts?”

Hitting out at Russia‘s regular army, Mr Prigozhin described his mercenaries as the “cement” holding the whole war effort together.

Wagner chief issues ultimatum to Putin as he threatens to let ‘frontline collapse’ (msn.com)