After being accused of treason and cooperation with Ukraine: The head of the Wagner breaks his silence

The head of the Russian private military group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, broke his silence, Monday, to respond to press reports that he offered to provide information about the locations of Russian forces to Ukrainian intelligence, describing them as ridiculous accusations.

According to the Washington Post, Prigozhin had repeatedly offered the Ukrainian intelligence services information about the locations of Russian army units.

Likewise, Prigozhin’s offer was in exchange for the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Bakhmut, in the east of the country, where its elements are waging a fierce battle.

According to the Washington Post the Ukrainian intelligence service rejected Prigozhinin’s offer.

A leaked US intelligence documents, indicated that unnamed Ukrainian and US officials, were behind the report.

The reports and speculations, which cannot be independently verified, come as the rift between Prigozhin and the Russian military escalates in the context of the war in Ukraine.

Wagner elements are leading the vanguard of the Russian attack, seeking to control of Bakhmut, which Moscow believes will open the door to controlling more lands in eastern Ukraine.

However, the head of Wagner has been publicly criticizing the Russian General Staff for months, accusing it of not providing his fighters with the necessary ammunition to allow them to control Bakhmut.

Prigozhin responded sarcastically on Monday, to the American newspaper’s report saying, “It seems that I am fighting for Russia, but at the same time, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is following my instructions… Thus, the left hand is at war with the right hand”.

It came in an audio message to Prigozhin, which was posted on Telegram, “The American reports are is funny.”

On the other hand, Prigozhin confirmed that he hasn’t been to Africa since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, in response to what was reported by the Washington Post that the head of Wagner met with members of the Ukrainian intelligence services in an unnamed African country.

Prigozhin estimated that members of the Russian elite might be behind the accusations, and said, “They are trying to throw as much shit as possible on me”.

For its part, Moscow commented on the report, as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the information published by the Washington Post as misleading news.