Prigozhin, the representative of Wagener, a private military company that is participating in the battle with Russian regular troops in the fierce battle zone of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, released a video and statement on social media on the 5th.
"On March 3 last year, the special military operation did not go as planned, and we received a call for assistance," Prigogine said, "and on March 16, our troops arrived from Africa and immediately joined the battle. In October, we risked our lives to launch Operation Bahmut to give the regular army a breather and draw the enemy towards us," he said, referring to how Wagener joined the battle and the operation at Bahmut.
He complained that there had been an extreme shortage of ammunition since April, claiming that he had fought successfully in Bahmut, and accused the Ministry of Defense of deliberately cutting off the supply of ammunition, saying, "We were going to take control of Bahmut by May 4, but the military bureaucracy has effectively cut off all supplies in order to prevent this."
He then told President Putin, Defense Minister Shoigu and Chief of Staff Gerasimov that "unfair losses in the absence of ammunition are unacceptable, and we will leave Bakhmut on May 5."
On the other hand, Mr Prigozhin also said that he would "stay even if the ammunition runs out so as not to humiliate the holy holiday for the Russian people."
Prigozhin is also expected to appeal his position to the administration and the people by increasing pressure on the Ministry of Defense and others to supply ammunition by warning of leaving the front line, while emphasizing that Russia will continue to fight until the 9th, which is the anniversary of the Victory in World War II.