Attempts by the Russian Ministry of Defense to distract from recent Ukrainian successes near the battered yet highly prized city of Bakhmut by praising Russian troops is getting dismissed by a controversial but powerful mercenary leader.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War says the ministry has been issuing medals and lauding its airborne forces in Russian media while ignoring the efforts of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group mercenaries − the point of the Russian sword for crucial fighting in and around Bakhmut. Prigozhin is pushing back, however, publicly claiming that airborne forces have failed to defend positions his troops were able to seize.
“As for the constant information that the airborne forces are helping us, I don’t know, I haven’t seen them,” Prigozhin said. “The airborne forces, in theory, were supposed to recapture those positions that were lost by other units. But, as far as I know, these positions are still under the enemy. Therefore, I do not know where the Airborne Forces are and who they help.”
Adding to the controversy: Leaked Pentagon documents claiming Prigozhin offered to reveal Russian troop positions to Ukraine forces in exchange for Kyiv’s withdrawal from the city. The Washington Post reported Monday that a Ukrainian official confirmed Prigozhin, known as much for openly berating top military officials as for his team’s military prowess, extended the offer to intelligence officials in January and possibly multiple times thereafter. Kyiv, however, did not trust Prigozhin and rejected the proposal, the Post said.
“Russian President Vladimir Putin … might well regard Prigozhin’s offer to trade the lives of Wagner fighters for Russian soldiers as a treasonous betrayal,” according to the Post.
The Post also describes documents indicating Russian Defense Ministry officials privately debated how to respond to Prigozhin’s unrelenting criticism of the regular military’s performance and inability to provide sufficient ammunition. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the report: “It looks like another duck. Unfortunately, even respected publications in recent years quite often do not disdain from this.”
Developments:
∙ NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that Ukraine’s victory against Russia will be the starting point to move forward with NATO membership.
∙ Peskov also rejected French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent statement that Russia has suffered a geopolitical defeat in Ukraine and is now gradually becoming dependent on China. Peskov described the relationship as a “strategic, special partnership.”
∙ Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that allows foreign citizens who signed contracts for military service during the “special military operation” to obtain Russian citizenship.
Russian spending rises sharply amid push for more soldiers
Russia spent $26 billion on defense in January and February 2023, almost three times the amount spent in the first two months of 2022, according to data published by Russia’s treasury. The war began Feb. 24 of last year. Data released last week showed that Russia’s budget deficit was about $43 billion from January to April, compared to a surplus in 2022 as Moscow spends heavily on the war and revenue from energy sales declines.
More spending is on the way. Last week Putin signed a decree calling up reservists for military training. And Russian military recruiters have started aggressively targeting Central Asian migrant workers in Russia for service in Ukraine in an effort to postpone another mandatory mobilization.
Europe responds to Zelenskyy call for military aid ahead of offensive
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced Monday that Britain will deliver hundreds of long-range attack drones and air-defense missiles to Ukraine as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continued his European tour after talks in France, Germany and Italy. Last week Britain announced that it was providing long-range, Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine for the first time − and Russia claimed Monday it had for the first time shot one down.
France pledged more light tanks, armored vehicles, air defense systems training for soldiers and other assistance as the Ukrainians gear up for a counteroffensive against Russian forces. The German government announced a new package of military aid for Ukraine worth more than $3 billion, including tanks, anti-aircraft systems and ammunition. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni promised Italy’s full support for Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russia’s “brutal and unjust aggression,” adding “we are betting on Ukraine’s victory.”
Clock running out on new grain deal
Negotiations aimed at extending an agreement that for months has allowed Ukraine to ship badly needed grain to developing nations have ended with no deal in place, Ukraine agricultural official Olha Trofimtseva said Monday. The agreement has also cleared the way for shipments of Russian fertilizers and other products. Turkish officials who have helped mediate previous deals still expect an extension of the agreement set to end Thursday, Tromfimtseva said, but she added that no additional negotiations had been scheduled.
“Suspension or unilateral withdrawal from the grain agreement is possible,” she warned. “But it will mean an escalation of the situation for everyone and, first of all, for the Russian side, and in this case they will make their negotiating position more difficult in the future. I hope they understand this.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
