“Last step”: Prigozhin hints at the dissolution of his Wagner mercenaries This research among Russians shocked the client

Prigozhin’s troops say they succeeded in capturing the eastern part of the highly contested city in the Donbass on Wednesday. However, there is still no confirmation from the Ukrainian side and the statements of the mercenary boss have not been independently verified either. In recent days, however, there have been increasing signs that the eastern part of the city could soon actually fall into Russian hands.

Local non-governmental organizations that are closely linked to the local military units also report to Watson that the eastern part of Bakhmut, which lies behind the Bakhmutka River, is completely under Russian control. In the past, Russian troops had repeatedly advanced and pushed back.

The part of Bakhmut had been a heavy fighting area for months and was called the “grey zone”. The Wagner group was and is mainly active here and on the southern front for Bakhmut.

The partial capture of the town that has been fought over for weeks would be a sign of success for the Wagner group. But immediately after the announcement, rumors circulated about a possible disbandment of the mercenary battalion. The reason? Yevgeny Prigozhin himself.

In a video shared on Twitter by Anton Geraschenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior, Prigozhin (probably) – at least that’s how it can be interpreted – talks about the future of his troupe: “The last step of the Wagner group . Many things don’t last forever.” According to the German news magazine “Focus”, which first reported on the audio recording, the recordings have not yet been independently verified.

Prigoshin compares the battle of his mercenaries with that of the heroic 300 Spartans or that of the Bogatyrs, great warriors of East Slavic legends. “You get stuck in people’s heads. And it will be the same with Wagner,” the 61-year-old raves in the recording, which includes images of soldiers and a tank and is accompanied by explosion sounds in the background.

What the supposed statements of the mercenary boss actually say about the future of his unit is difficult to estimate. In the video, Prigozhin again sends a dig to the Russian state army: “At the moment, the world has not yet seen a well-trained Russian army. What happens when we take Bachmut? The defense minister told us that we will have more leeway after that.”

It is unclear whether this room for maneuver means a withdrawal of the Wagner troops from the front, a restructuring or relocation of the unit, or even complete disbandment. (con)