“WASHING OURSELVES IN BLOOD”
Earlier on Friday, Prigozin said Moscow’s forces were retreating in Ukraine’s east and south following Kyiv’s counteroffensive. That directly contradicted Putin’s account that Ukraine was suffering “catastrophic” losses and that there was a lull in fighting.
“We are washing ourselves in blood,” Prigozhin said.
“No one is bringing reserves. What they tell us is the deepest deception,” he added, referring to the Russian military and political leadership.
After years of operating in the shadows, Prigozin has in recent months admitted to running the elusive mercenary group and even interfering in US elections.
His forces, bolstered by tens of thousands of prison recruits, played a central role in Russia’s capture of the Donetsk region town, Bakhmut, the longest and likely bloodiest battle of the conflict.
However, this week he accused Moscow’s top brass of deceiving Russians about the offensive in Ukraine.
“Why did the special military operation begin? … the war was needed for the self-promotion of a bunch of bastards,” he said.
Rarely has such a controversial figure shot to this degree of prominence on the Russian political stage under Putin.
“PUTIN’S CHEF”
Prigozhin rose from a modest background to become part of the inner circle around Putin.
He spent nine years in prison in the final period of the USSR after being convicted of fraud and theft. In the chaos of the 1990s, he began a moderately successful business selling hot dogs.
From there he fell into the restaurant business and opened a luxury location in Saint Petersburg whose customers included Putin, then making the transition from working in the KGB to local politics.
The catering company he founded at one point worked for the Kremlin, earning Prigozhin the soubriquet of “Putin’s chef”.
However, in recent months, Prigozhin has become embroiled in a bitter power struggle with the defence ministry.
He has accused the Russian military of attempting to “steal” victories in Ukraine from his forces, and slammed Moscow’s “monstrous bureaucracy” for slowing military gains.
Wagner’s presence has been reported in conflict zones including Syria, Libya, Mali, and the Central African Republic, where it has been accused of abuses and capturing state power.
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