ANKARA
In signs of escalating tension between the Kremlin and the paramilitary Wagner Group, Russia late Friday denied claims it had attacked the group.
Russia’s Defense Ministry denied a claim by Wagner Group head Evgeny Progozhin that Russian forces had attacked a camp of the paramilitary group to the rear of Russian lines in Ukraine, calling it an “informational provocation.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also stated that President Vladimir Putin has been fully briefed on the situation with Prigozhin, adding that all necessary measures are being taken.
Meanwhile, Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee opened a criminal case against Prigozhin on charges of incitement to armed rebellion and demanded that he “stop the illegal actions.”
Earlier, Progozhin on Telegram shared a voice message claiming that Russian forces had attacked his paramilitary group.
After a reported rocket strike on the Wagner Group, Prigozhin accused the Russian Defense Ministry of responsibility and swore to personally “punish” the perpetrators and Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu.
“There’s 25,000 of us and we’re coming to figure out why there’s such chaos in the country,” said Prigozhin. “These 25,000 are waiting as a tactical reserve, and the strategic reserve is the whole army and the whole country. Anyone who wants come and join! We need to end this mess.”
He then claimed that Shoygu came to the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don to “carry out an operation to destroy Wagner,” adding that he used artillerymen and helicopter pilots “in the dark.”
On Thursday, Progozhin claimed that Russian military chiefs are deceiving Putin.
On Telegram, Progozhin highlighted a discrepancy between his information and official data, claiming that “shameless lies are being brought to the president’s desk.”
He added that he expects a new wave of military mobilization in Russia, claiming that “people have to be prepared” to replace soldiers who have died in battle.
In recent months Prigozhin has repeatedly accused the Russian Defense Ministry and Shoygu of not supplying sufficient arms to the paramilitary group, members of whom are fighting with Ukrainian forces in year two of the Ukraine war.
Earlier, the Wagner leader claimed that Ukraine’s armed forces were 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from Russian positions in the Zaporizhzhia region. At the same time, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that all of Ukraine’s attacks were repulsed.
