Viktor Sobolev, a former lieutenant general in the armed forces and current Communist Party deputy, called the mercenary group an “illegal armed organization” in a statement.

“It is not clear what she refers to and what the group is doing. WagnerSobolev said, warning that regular soldiers who defect to his ranks could face up to 15 years in prison. In recent weeks, Moscow has handed over to the group most of its military operations around the Ukrainian town of Bakhmut.

In one of his latest online rants, the founder of the Russian mercenary company Wagner, Evgeny Prigozhinfirst fired his arrows at Russian President Vladimir Putin himself, pulling him out of the state of impregnability in which he was, since the situation for the Russians in Ukraine war becomes more and more difficult.

With an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive causing concern both in Moscow and in the occupied Donbass and Crimea, the resistance of the indomitable Ukrainian fighters in the tormented Bakhmut (Donetsk region) paid off for the defenders, resulting in not only repelling Russian attacks, but also the retreat of the Russians is not less than 2-3 kilometers south of the city.