The Russian mercenary group Wagner has begun withdrawing its forces from the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and transferring its positions there to regular Russian troops, its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a video published on Thursday.
“We are withdrawing our units from Bakhmut. Starting at five o’clock in the morning today, May 25, and until June 1, most units will withdraw to rearguard camps. We are handing over our positions to the army,” he said, according to Reuters.
The video, published by the Telegram press service, shows Prigozhin in combat gear standing near a residential block that was damaged by the fighting.
Yevgeny Prigozhin says that Wagner PMC is beginning to retreat from Bakhmut after leading Russian efforts to destroy and capture the city. According to him, the group of mercenaries will complete the withdrawal on June 1 and hand over the positions to the regular military. pic.twitter.com/LC4z7x57Gx
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 25, 2023
In the latest video, Prigozhin, who has repeatedly publicly criticized senior Russian defense officials, said his forces would be ready to return to Bakhmut if the regular army could not handle the situation.
Prigozhin announced the capture of Bakhmut on Saturday after the longest and bloodiest battle of the war. Vladimir Putin congratulated Wagner’s mercenaries on the “liberation” of Bakhmut and said that “all those who distinguished themselves in battle will receive medals.”
Source: Hot News
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