- Wagner’s mercenary group increased ammo supplies following a public spat with Russia’s senior army brass.
- shipment of ammunition has started.
- Prigozhin accused Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, said on Thursday that his men had begun receiving increased ammo supplies following a public spat with Russia’s senior army brass.
“Today at 6 am, it was announced that the shipment of ammunition has started,” Prigozhin said in a statement on Telegram.
“Most likely, the ball is now rolling. So far, it’s all on paper, but, as we were told, the principal documents have already been signed.”
Prigozhin, a former catering entrepreneur who earlier avoided the public eye, has taken on a more public role since the start of the Ukrainian war a year ago, with his Wagner Group spearheading Russia’s months-long assault for the town of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk area.
A long-running battle with Russia‘s military leaders has recently erupted, with Prigozhin alleging that officials are refusing Wagner ammunition out of personal animus.
On Tuesday, he accused Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov of “treason,” alleging that they were to blame for the shortages.
Voice message
“The chief of the general staff and the defense minister are giving instructions right and left just not to provide Wagner PMC ammo, but even to help it with air transport,” an agitated and emotional Prigozhin stated in a voice message on Tuesday.
Prigozhin wrote in his statement on Thursday: “Many thanks to those who responded in various ways – to regular citizens who did everything they could, and to those, including those in positions of power, who applied pressure and took decisions… so that they began to provide us with weaponry. Thank you very much. Thank you very much from the lads.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin called an end to internal Russian conflicts at his annual state of the country address on Tuesday.
“We must get rid of – I want to emphasize this – any interdepartmental contradictions, formalities, grudges, misunderstandings, and other nonsense,” Putin told the political and military elite.
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