The owner of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced that the Ukrainians have recovered a part of the village of Berkhivka, which is embarrassing for the Russian forces, writes Reuters.
Wagner’s group captured Bakhmut in May and has since transferred its positions to the Russian regular army. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have continued to attack north and south of the city, including in an attempt to retake Berkhivka, which Wagner’s group captured in February.
In the audio message released by his press service, Prigozhin said:
“Now part of the settlement of Berkhivka has already been lost, the troops are quietly running away. Disgrace!”
Denis Pushilin, Moscow’s deputy in Donetsk, told Russian state television that the flanks of Bakhmut are under control, but the situation is said to be very serious.
Prigozhin invited Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov to go to the front to cheer up the soldiers. He added that the officials are capable of it, and even if they fall, they will fall as heroes. The owner of the mercenary group has been publicly feuding with Shoigu and Gerasimov for months.
Read also: Chechens scold Prigozhin: Stop yelling!