The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, which has been fighting for control of Bakhmut since last summer, announced Friday that he would withdraw his forces from the city on May 10 because of insufficient ammunition. In a letter published on his Telegram channel, Yevgeniy Prigozhin demanded that the Defense Ministry sign an order indicating the date on which it would replace Wagner forces involved in a brutal battle for the city in eastern Ukraine.
Prigozhin said his forces had no choice but to withdraw to rear bases to “lick the wounds.” It remains to be seen whether he does withdraw — a move that would be catastrophic for Russia’s long campaign to take Bakhmut, and which would probably carry political consequences.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
Wagner chief threatens Bakhmut withdrawal
Russian officials insist they have the right to retaliate, stoking fears in Ukraine that Russia could use the situation as a pretext for escalating its war. Jennifer Hassan and Mary Ilyushina break down how drones are functioning in the war in Ukraine and what we know so far about Russia’s claims, Kyiv’s response and how military experts are making sense of the incident.
Meaghan Tobin contributed to this report.
