Former Russian Deputy Defense Minister Mykhailo Mizintsev, also known as the “Butcher of Mariupol,” has reportedly joined Wagner’s mercenary group as deputy commander after being fired late last month, according to a Russian military blogger cited by CNN.

Mykhailo MizintsevPhoto: Sputnik / Profimedia Images

Oleksandr Simonov posted two videos on Telegram showing Mizintsev wearing a uniform with Wagner’s insignia and possibly visiting the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, News.ro reported.

Last week, the Ministry of Defense of Russia announced a change in leadership and the replacement of Mykhailo Mizintiev, who was Deputy Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and was in charge of logistics issues.

He has held the post since September 2022 and earned a reputation for brutality through his role in the siege of the city of Mariupol, the site of some of the worst attacks and alleged atrocities since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Information about Mizintiev appears in the context of the fact that the chairman of “Wagner” Yevgeny Prigozhin made an unexpected statement on Friday: he plans to leave Bakhmut in five days, apparently due to a lack of ammunition. “I am withdrawing Wagner’s PMK units, because without ammunition they are doomed to a senseless death,” said a statement published on Telegram. He attacked Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Army Commander General Valery Gerasimov, saying that Wagner’s PMC had fallen “into the disgrace of envious quasi-military bureaucrats.”

Prigozhin’s comments came a day after Chief Wagner unleashed an outrageous tirade against Russia’s military leadership. Standing in front of the bodies of dozens of dead, as he claims, Wagner fighters, Prigozhin blamed their deaths on the lack of support from Moscow.

He previously complained that he was not getting enough support from Moscow, and in an interview broadcast on Sunday, he threatened to withdraw his mercenaries from Bakhmut.

Wagner’s decision to withdraw from Bakhmut on May 10 could be a “turning point” in the battle for the city, a representative of the Ukrainian military told CNN. But Serhiy Cherevaty, the spokesman of the eastern group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, also stated that Prigozhin was “lying” about the lack of ammunition among his soldiers. He claims that Chief Wagner is “looking for a reason to just walk away from the battlefield.”

On the other hand, Ukrainian military intelligence representative Andriy Yusov told CNN that it is possible that the Ministry of Defense could block the supply of artillery shells to Wagner. “It is true that Wagner is experiencing a shortage of artillery shells due to the fact that Shoigu and Gerasimov are blocking the supply. When (Serhiy) Surovikin commanded the Russian occupation forces in Ukraine, the situation was more favorable for Wagner,” he added.

Yusov told CNN that Wagner’s fighters are conducting most of the ground offensive around Bakhmut, while regular Russian forces are carrying out airstrikes. He also noted that there is “internal competition” in the Russian defense space, and there are people in the Kremlin who support both camps.

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