Putin’s lieutenant colonel captured by Russian mercenary forces as anarchy breaks out
Yevgeny Prigozhin hostage video
Twitter
The Ukrainian army has ramped up the pressure on Putin in timing its counteroffensive to coincide with the Wagner paramilitary group losing patience over an infighting Russian army.
Wagner has published a hostage video of a soldier identifying himself as Lieutenant-Colonel Roman Venevitin, Commander of the 72nd Brigade, confessing to drunkenly shooting at a Wagner vehicle due to harbouring a “personal animosity”.
Appearing on camera in battle fatigues with a clearly damaged nose, Venevitin also admits he is “guilty” of leading a group of 10 or 12 Russian army soldiers who “disarmed” a Wagner rapid response group.
This latest flashpoint further entrenches the brewing hatred between the conscripted Russian army and the Wagner group of ragtag mercenaries which came to the fore in Bakhmut.
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has never been one to shy away from scolding Russian leadership
Reuters
Wagner had been lauded by Putin for breaking the deadlock in the battle of Bakhmut, yet their success seems to have enraged the Russian regulars for Wagner have since complained that the route back from Bakhmut was peppered with landmines.
Wagner chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said: “We discovered about a dozen places where various explosive devices were placed, ranging from hundreds of anti-tank mines to tons of [charges] from Zmey Gorynych self-propelled missiles.
“Those who planted these charges were representatives of the ministry of defence... It can be assumed that they wanted to meet the advancing units of the Wagner PMC [Private Military Company] with these charges, even though we do not walk in columns.”
Videos have surfaced showing sappers clearing buried explosive devices from the road.
An armoured vehicle prowls in Vochansk Ukraine-Russia border town
Reuters
On Monday, Prigozhin criticised Russia's military leadership, claiming that the Russian army had lost control of some of its positions around Bakhmut, describing it as a "disgrace" and another example of Wagner fighters being left unprotextec on the frontlines.
One of several private armies in Russia, Wagner is thought to be 60,000 strong, while Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov controls a group of his own and Russian energy giant Gazprom also set up its own private military company.
The leader of Legion Free Russia, a pro-Ukrainian paramilitary group of Russians, has offered to swap Venevitin for Russian POWs captured in Belgorod this week.
Russia's Belgorod region was bombarded by artillery shells and drone strikes on Friday, forcing thousands of Russians to flee.
Vladimir Putin meets with Transport Minister Vitaly Saveliev and Railways CEO Oleg Belozerov
Reuters
Russia have been conducting an extensive shelling operation of their own.
The Ministry of Defence said: “Over the course of May 2023, Russia launched over 300 Iranian Shahed series one way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA-UAVs) against Ukraine: its most intense use of this weapon system to date.
“Russia is probably launching so many OWA-UAVs in an attempt to force Ukraine to fire stocks of valuable, advanced air defence missiles.
“Russia is unlikely to have been notably successful: Ukraine has neutralised at least 90% of the incoming OWA-UAVs mostly using its older and cheaper air defence weapons and with electronic jamming.”
Tory backbencher Bob Seely MP told GB News that the war could “escalate in a much more dangerous way” and warned that Britain “underestimates” the threat of Putin using nuclear weapons.
Last week, calls for Putin to be ousted were broadcast on Russian-state backed TV for the first time amid Wagner infighting.
Given the rare opportunity to voice opinion on the NTV channel's Mesto Vstrechi (Meeting Place), Boris Nadezhdin called on the public to put an end to Putin’s reign so that Russia could reconcile with Europe.
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