The founder of the Russian private military company "Wagner"

Yevgeny Prigozhin

called on the military leadership of Russia to preserve the military forces on the eve of the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces.

In this way, he justifies the failure to achieve the goals in Bakhmut.

This is stated in the summary of ISW.

According to analysts, Prigozhin may be trying to create informational conditions to explain the culmination of the activities of the "Wagnerians" around Bakhmut.



In an interview published by the businessman's publication RIA FAN on March 17, he claimed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were preparing for a counteroffensive in five separate directions: in the area of ​​Kreminnaya, Bakhmut, towards Donetsk, in the Zaporizhzhia region, and also allegedly in the Russian Belgorod region.



Prigozhin said that Ukrainian forces would begin these operations starting in mid-April, and called on Russian forces to prepare for these counterattacks by conserving ammunition and equipment.



Prigozhin also noted that at least 19,000 military personnel are stationed in Bakhmut, which is probably an attempt to justify Wagner's lack of progress in the city, experts write.



Also, Prigozhin's story can be seen as a recognition that the general Russian offensive in Ukraine is nearing its climax, given his call to the Russian Armed Forces to save resources for counteroffensives of the Armed Forces.

Prigozhyn's description of the imminent Ukrainian counterattacks also implies that, in his opinion, the Russian troops will soon cede the initiative to Ukraine and will be forced to go on the defensive, rather than continue stalled or unsuccessful offensives in the Kreminnaya, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, or Vugledar areas.

Earlier it became known that 

Yevgeny Prigozhin

plans to recruit about 30,000 new mercenaries by mid-May.

However, they are no longer prisoners, but free citizens.   

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