Wagner Group boss dismisses Russian military’s claims of heavy Ukraine losses

Tensions have escalated between the Wagner Group and the Russian military, as disagreements over latest occasions in Ukraine’s Donbas area intensify. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Group, dismissed Russia’s claims of inflicting vital losses on Ukraine during an tried offensive action, labelling them as “wild and absurd science fiction.” Despite this, Russia’s defence ministry reiterated on Tuesday that Ukraine had suffered over three,seven-hundred casualties through the conflict.
According to Russia, the assault was part of a “long-promised offensive” by Ukraine in the Donetsk area, which occurred over the weekend. However, Ukraine’s army stated on Monday that it had no details about a serious attack within the space and refused to touch upon what it referred to as “fake” claims. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu insisted that his forces had brought on over three,715 casualties to Ukraine and destroyed numerous military equipment pieces during the assault. He praised the “courage and heroism” of Russian troops, acknowledging that 71 had died in the preventing.
Prigozhin quickly criticised the defence ministry’s claims on Monday evening, arguing that the alleged success would equate to a “massacre.” He wrote on Telegram, “Therefore, I suppose that these are just some wild fantasies.” Prigozhin additionally accused Russian forces of “slowly” retreating from the village of Berkhivka, close to Bakhmut, labelling it a “disgrace.” Moscow dismissed Prigozhin’s allegations on Tuesday, stating they “did not correspond to reality” and asserting that the suburb remained beneath Moscow’s management.
Officials in Kyiv have acknowledged the shift to “offensive actions” in some elements of the country. On Tuesday, a US official informed CBS News that the Ukrainian counter-offensive is in its preliminary phases, however the primary thrust has but to begin. Kyiv’s Copy confirmed on Monday that some offensive operations had started around the eastern metropolis of Bakhmut, which she referred to as the “epicentre of hostilities.”
In a video tackle late on Monday, President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude to Ukrainian fighters for delivering “the news we’re expecting” within the Bakhmut area. The city has been at the centre of intense preventing for months, holding symbolic importance for each Kyiv and Moscow..