General Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of Russia's Chechen Republic
AFP reported that Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner mercenary group, on May 6 asked Moscow to allow him to hand over the positions he controls in the city of Bakhmut to leader Ramzan Kadyrov of Russia's Chechen Republic.
"I ask you to issue an order before 00:00 on May 10 to transfer the positions held by Wagner paramilitary units in Bakhmut and the surrounding area to the units of the Akhmat battalion," Yevgeny Prigozhin wrote in a letter to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
The Akhmat Battalion is a Chechen fighting unit under the command of Mr Kadyrov.
Prigozhin said his troops would be forced to retreat from Bakhmut because of a “prolonged shortage of ammunition.” Wagner also accused the Russian Defense Ministry of delivering only 32% of the required ammunition by October 2022.
Wagner is currently the main fighting group in the battle for control of the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. In a video released on May 5, Prigozhin stood next to dozens of Wagner’s bodies and loudly criticized Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov for not providing ammunition. Prigozhin also threatened to withdraw from Bakhmut on May 10.
Meanwhile, TASS reported that Chechen leader Kadyrov said on Telegram on May 5 that his fighters were "ready to advance and take control of the city of Bakhmut" if Wagner left.
Mr Kadyrov also praised Wagner units, saying the two forces had fought side by side in the "most difficult" battles in Popasna, Severodonetsk and Lysychansk.
Before sending the letter to Minister Shoigu, Mr. Prigozhin on May 6 thanked Mr. Kadyrov for the above offer, and said that Chechen forces would "certainly" take Bakhmut.
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