The head of the Wagner PMC, Russian businessman Evgeny Prigozhin in a personal conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the Russian military leadership, declaring poor command and inept actions at the front. It is reported by Washington Post with reference to anonymous American officials.
In early October, the American newspaper wrote that one of the people from the closest encirclement of Vladimir Putin directly pointed out the Russian president for mistakes and failures in the war in Ukraine. Now the Washington Post clarified that it was precisely about Prigozhin.
The businessman complained that the Russian Ministry of Defense relies too much on the Wagner PMC, but does not provide the necessary financial support and resources for combat missions, the American intelligence report quoted by Washington Post.
American officials drew attention to the fact that Prigozhin felt comfortable, expressing a sharp rebuke to the Russian military personally to Vladimir Putin, being in a private environment. This shows how its influence is growing against the background of military defeats of Russia, the newspaper notes.
American intelligence believes that the recent publication of Prigozhin in social networks video, in which Wagner PMC fighters complain about the lack of food, is associated with the desire to put pressure on the Kremlin to increase funding.
in Prigozhin’s statement for Washington Post, made through the press service of his Concord company, it is said that the businessman had not talked with Putin recently and does not plan to do this in the near future. Prigozhin also said that he had not seen a video on which Wagner fighters complain about products with products.
spokesman for the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on information about the communication of Prigozhin and Putin.
In a separate paragraph of the American intelligence report, there is a growing tension between Prigozhin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.