The stakes in Bakhmut are very high for the boss of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who, in a video quoted by Ukrainian media, warns his own of the catastrophic consequences of a possible defeat at this front point in eastern Ukraine. Prigozhin is sure that if his troops retreated from the besieged city, the entire front would collapse and unleash the anger of the Kremlin. Vladimir Putin’s men could indeed shift the responsibility for a total defeat in the Ukraine conflict onto Russian mercenaries. “If PMK Wagner withdraws from Bakhmut, the entire front will collapse – says Prigozhin – it is clear that the front on the Russian border would fall and could fall further”. According to Wagner’s leader, a withdrawal would “cause a ‘spring effect’ and Ukrainian forces would break into the territory of the Lugansk People’s Republic from all sides, wiping out Lugansk, neighboring Sorokyne and entering the territory of Russia”. Regarding the video, which was published by the Prigozhin press service last night, March 4, the Ukrainian media have no confirmation of when and where it was actually recorded. In the video, Prigozhin then adds that Crimea is in danger of being liberated from Russian occupation and later complains to Defense Minister Shoigu that he did not provide his men with enough ammunition and prisoners to join the fight to face the front.
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