After a week in a tug of war, the head of the paramilitary group, Yevgueni Prigozhin, has confirmed that the shipment of ammunition required by the Russian army to continue the combat on the Ukraine front is ready “on paper”.

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The context. Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin?

  • Known as “Putin’s chef”.
  • He is a former catering businessman who, since the war in Ukraine began a year ago, has been assuming a more public role.
  • Now he is the owner of the Wagner Group, a network of Russian mercenaries in the service of President Vladimir Putin.
  • Led Russia’s battle for the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.

Because it is important? The struggle between the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Wagner group became latent last Tuesday when the leader of the mercenaries, Yevgueni Prigozhin, accused the high command of the Russian army of “traitors to the homeland” for their refusal to send them ammo.

  • This Wednesday the Russian Defense Minister, Shoigu, assured that these statements are “absolutely false”.
  • In the annual state of the nation address, Putin urged an end to internal rivalries on the Russian side.
  • Prigozhin accuses the Kremlin of wanting to end the paramilitary organization.

Yes, but… Prigozhin has announced that the shipment of ammunition is already underway.

  • “So far, everything is on paper, but, as we were told, the main documents are already signed.”
  • Part of Wagner’s mercenaries were recruited in prisons.
  • According to the NGO Rus Sidiáshchaya: of the 50,000 recruited prisoners, only about 10,000 remain alive.
  • The Wagner group has seen its battalions decimated to conquer the town of Soledar. An enclave that is not even decisive for the war.
  • With this, Shoigu could argue that their long-term goals require them to ration the ammunition they allocate to the group.

And meanwhile… Prigozhin accumulates more and more support. One of them, the Chechen president, Ramzan Kadyrov.

  • Kadyrov has announced on his social networks his intention to create another mercenary company in the future to, he says, compete with Russia.

What was going to be a lightning war has already accumulated 365 days of offensive.