Wagner chief says his forces are dying as Russia’s military leaders ‘sit like fat cats’

CNN — Standing in frontofthebodiesofdozens of what he claims are his fighters killed in Russia’s war with Ukraine, the head of the private military companyWagnerunleashed an expletive-laden challenge to Russia’s military leadership, and later blamed defense chiefs for “tens of thousands” of Wagnercasualties.

“We are lacking 70% of the needed ammunition!” Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin says in a video posted Thursday on the Telegrammessagingapp.

Shining a small flashlight on the corpses laying outdoors near what appearstobethefrontlines ofthewar,Prigozhinclaims theyarethecasualtiesofjust onedayoffighting.

“Shoigu, Gerasimov, w h e r e i s t h e ammunition?” says Prigozhin, calling out Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the Russian armed forces Gen.ValeryGerasimov

“The blood is still fresh,” he says, pointing to the bodies behind him “They came here as volunteers and are dying so you can sit like fat cats in yourluxuryoffices.”

In another video statement, released Friday on Telegram, Prigozhin said, “The dead and wounded–andthat’stensof thousands of men – lie on theconscienceofthosewho didnotgiveusammunition, andthisisDefenseMinister Shoigu and this is Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov

“For tens of thousands of those killed and wounded, they will bear responsibility before their mothers and children, and I will make sure of that,” he added.

In the same video message, Prigozhin praised the former Deputy Defense MinisterMikhailMizintsev, who has recently joined the WagnerGroupasitsdeputy commander

Prigozhin, whose Wagner mercenary group hastakenonagrowingrole in the Ukraine conflict as Russian forces falter, has been highly visible on the front lines in recent months – where he has claimed credit for territorial gains, particularly in the battles raging around the eastern UkrainiancityofBakhmut.

Amid the public feud, Shoiguinspectedtroopsand military equipment in Russia’s southern military district on Friday, the Russian military said, where he promised military supplies.

The statement said Shoigu has instructed “to keep under special control theissuesofcontinuousand rhythmic supply of the groupsoftroopsintheareas of the special military operation with all the necessary weapons and militaryequipment.”

Wagner fighters will ‘leaveBakhmut’onMay10 Prigozhin’s call for more ammunition is not new, nor are his methods. He has repeatedly complained of receiving insufficient support from the Kremlin in the grueling fightfortheeasterncity.

In February, he made a similar appeal for ammunition, posting a pictureonTelegramofapile ofcorpses.Shortlyafterthat posting, he made another saying a shipment of ammunition was on its way totheWagnertroops.

Butthesupportdoesnot seemtohavelasted,atleast to Prigozhin’s liking. Last weekend, he threatened to withdraw his troops from the city if Moscow didn’t providemoreammunition.

In a separate statement posted to Telegram on Friday, Prigozhin repeated thethreat,sayinghisprivate military company would leave Bakhmut on May 10 duetoalackofammunition.

“I declare on behalf of the Wagner fighters, on behalf of the Wagner command, that on May 10, 2023, we are obliged to transfer positions in the settlement of Bakhmut to units of the Defense Ministry and withdraw the remains of Wagner to logistics camps to lick our wounds,”Prigozhinsaid.

“I’m withdrawing WagnerPMCunitsbecause without ammunition, they are doomed to a senseless death,” said Prigozhin, adding that Wagner had fallen “out of favor with envious near-military bureaucrats.”

Known for its disregard for the lives of its own soldiers, the Wagner group’s brutal and often lawless tactics are believed to have resulted in high numbers of casualties, as new recruits are sent into battle with little formal training – a process described by retired United States Lt Gen Mark Hertling as “like feeding meattoameatgrinder.”

But as Prigozhin’s staturehasincreased,sotoo have his clashes with Shoigu and Gerasimov, prompting speculation about possible elite infighting in Moscow as Russia’s military campaign failstoadvance.

In February, he accused thetwomenof“treason”for their alleged failures to support and supply the WagnergroupinUkraine. His newest challenge to Russian defense officials comes as Bakhmut remains heavilycontested.

“These are someone’s f**king fathers and someone’s sons. And you f**kers who aren’t giving [us] ammunition, you b*tches,willhaveyourguts eaten out in hell!” yelled Prigozhin in Thursday’s video.