In early June, the Ukrainian army launched a counter-attack in the east and south of the country, in an attempt to regain territory controlled by Russian forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly confirmed the failure of the Ukrainian offensive, most recently on Wednesday, when he insisted that Ukrainian forces had “suffered heavy losses,” adding that there was “certain calm” on the front.
But Yevgeny Prigozhin denied this more than once, in statements that sparked controversy in Russia.
On Wednesday, the head of the “Wagner” group, whose forces led an attack on towns in eastern Ukraine, including Bakhmut, accused the Russian Ministry of Defense of “not telling the truth,” referring to “the loss of territory in favor of the Ukrainian forces.”.
He said in an audio message released by his spokesmen: “They mislead the Russian people,” according to the agency “Agence France Presse.”
He pointed out that “a number of villages, including Pyatikatki, were lost,” adding that there was a “lack of weapons and ammunition,” which is a frequent complaint of the “Wagner” forces.
He continued, “Huge pieces were handed over to the enemy” (referring to the lands lost by the Russian forces in the battles), adding that the Ukrainian forces “have already sought to cross the Dnipro River,” which serves as a natural border on the front line..
And the military commander went on: “All this is completely hidden from everyone. One day Russia will wake up to discover that Crimea has also been handed over to Ukraine.”
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