In a video published on Saturday evening by his press service, Yevgeny Prigojine, the leader of the paramilitary group Wagner, spoke about the reasons why his fighters managed to capture the town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine, an announcement always denied by kyiv. He says his men are very experienced and “fulfill all their objectives independently” as they have their own planes, artillery pieces and armored vehicles.
“The most important thing is the command system, which has been perfectly perfected. The Wagner group listens to everyone, everyone can say their opinion, ”assured Evguéni Prigojine. But “after making a decision, all the missions are carried out, no one can go back. It is the fiercest discipline that gives us this possibility,” he continued, dressed in camouflage next to a man he presents as Wagner’s commander in the battle of Soledar.
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These comments by Yevgeny Prigojine appear as a new veiled criticism of the Russian military high command, accused, even by some supporters of Vladimir Putin, of lacking coordination and being distant from the realities on the ground. In recent months, Yevgeny Prigozhin has repeatedly criticized Russian troop commanders, including during the Ukrainian military successes this fall in the Kharkhiv and Kherson regions.
On Friday, the Russian military announced the capture of Soledar without initially mentioning Wagner’s fighters. Evguéni Prigojine, via his press service, had then regretted “permanent attempts to steal the victories” of his group. Rarely, the Russian Ministry of Defense then issued a press release praising the “courage” of Wagner’s men at Soledar.