Former Russian commander Igor Gerkin has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could face a "military rebellion" by Wagner whose commander has threatened to withdraw his troops from Pakhmut.
According to the American magazine "Newsweek", Gerkin wrote on Saturday in a post on the application "Telegram" saying that the call for the withdrawal of Wagner units from the battlefronts without the approval of the high command is a military insurgency, and cannot be considered otherwise.
Wagner fighters, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, are leading Russia's months-long effort to capture Pakhmut, in one of the bloodiest battles since Ukraine's war began 13 months ago.
Prigozhin has criticized the Russian Defense Ministry for not providing his fighters with the ammunition and logistical support they need.
In another post on Saturday, Jerkin accused the Wagner commander of publicly blackmailing Russia's military leadership by warning him that his troops would leave their positions in Bachmut if the issue of supplying them with ammunition was not resolved by next Friday.
The former Russian commander said Prigozhin was aware that withdrawing his troops from Pakhmut would have catastrophic consequences for Russia, especially as the timing comes ahead of Ukraine's planned counteroffensive this spring.
Girkin claimed that the Wagner leader had sent a letter to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu warning that he might withdraw his troops, Newsweek reported.
The head of Russia's Wagner military company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has threatened to withdraw part of his militants from Ukraine's eastern Pakhmut front, where fighting continues, if the Russian army does not deliver the necessary ammunition.
In an interview with Russian journalist Semyon Begov on Saturday, Prigozhin said Wagner fighters had taken control of most of the city of Pakhmut, citing a shortage of ammunition.
He pointed out that the Russian army warehouses are full of ammunition, warning that the current situation portends what he described as the demise of Wagner after a short period, noting that his company requested 4,80 ammunition for his fighters, although the clashes require <>,<> ammunition per day, according to him.
The Wagner chief confirmed that the Ukrainian army is constantly sending reinforcements to the Bakhmout front while the ammunition has been cut off from the Wagner militants, noting that he sent a letter to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informing him of the problem of ammunition shortages.