OUR Wagner under him Evgeny Prigozhin captured a Russian commander in another incident confirming the enmity of a group of mercenaries with the Ministry of Defense.

In a video posted on social networks, Lieutenant Colonel Roman Venevitin, commander of the 72nd brigade Russia claims that while drunk he ordered his troops to open fire on Wagner’s motorcade.

Last week, Prigozhin accused the Russian military of trying to blow up his men as they retreated from the town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.

PMC Wagner detained and interrogated none other than the commander of the 72nd brigade, Roman Venevitin. Wagner and the 72nd Brigade divided positions at Bakhmut.

The man was detained, beaten, his nose was broken, and he was forced to record on video a confession that he shot at a PMC car… pic.twitter.com/BY3PhEV60q

— Dmitry (@wartranslation) June 4, 2023

The businessman, better known as “Putin’s chef” because of his food contracts with the Kremlin, also claimed that his men found explosives he said were planted by Defense Ministry officials.

Prigozhin, who has been at odds with senior military officials for months, announced last week that his troops had largely withdrawn from Bakhmut, most of which they captured last month after suffering heavy casualties. The city is currently believed to be controlled by regular Russian troops.

Some pro-war nationalist commentators have said Wagner’s arrest of a high-ranking Russian soldier is indicative of Prigozhin’s growing influence in the Kremlin.

Prigozhin’s influence has grown as his troops have gradually taken Bakhmut in recent months, bringing Moscow its first tangible military victory since last summer.

Last week, Prigozhin came under rare public criticism when two close associates of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov called him a “hysteria” for undermining Russia’s war effort.

^{Source: Guardian}