Yevgeny Prigozhin says in an audio message on Monday that the stopped ammunition deliveries "help the enemy break Russia's back".
There has been speculation for some time that the Wagner leader is trying to strengthen his political position in Russia, and he has, among other things, used his platform to direct criticism at the Russian military.
This has created great frustration within the Russian leadership, and may be behind the non-delivery of ammunition, according to Joakim Paasikivi, lieutenant colonel and teacher of military strategy at the Norwegian Defense Academy.
- They let Wagner soldiers fight under worse conditions to reduce the opportunities for Yevgeny Prigozhin to create a power base with a private army backing him, he says.
- It seems that Prigozhin is on his way out into the cold.
"Really bad atmosphere"
Recently, criticism from the Wagner group has intensified.
Among other things, several video clips have appeared in which Wagner soldiers openly criticize and ridicule high-ranking Russian generals.
- These videos support other information which says that there is really bad atmosphere between Wagner soldiers and regular Russian forces.
It is possible that people do not think that Prigozhin should be allowed to insult the Russian military in any way, says Joakim Paasikivi.
- I would not be surprised if Yevgeny Prigozhin had a tragic accident.
A more cautious front
Joakim Paasikivi does not believe that this will affect the military presence at the front, as there are reports that Wagner forces will be replaced by Russian units.
However, the decision may affect the battles in other ways.
- Wagner troops have been exceptionally insensitive to their own soldier losses, and that is not true in other units.
At ground level, the battles at the front may become more cautious, he says.
Hear Yevgeny Prigozhin's performance in the video.