Pictures of Russian Defence Minister in Ukraine are response to Prigozhin's visit to contact zone – UK Intelligence
UK Defence Intelligence has stated that the release of footage of the Russian Defence Minister’s visit to Ukraine was a response to the visit to the front line by Yevgeny Prigozhin, Head of Wagner Group PMC.
Source: European Pravda; UK Defence Intelligence on Twitter
Details: The reports state that on 4 March 2023, the Russian Ministry of Defence released a video of a rare visit to Ukraine by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
There is a realistic possibility that this was partially in response to recent footage of the owner of Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, visiting his fighters on the front line, UK Defence Intelligence believes.
Wagner is in a high-profile dispute with the Russian Ministry of Defence, and Shoigu is likely sensitive to being compared to Prigozhin, UK Defence Intelligence emphasises.
The report states that the only deployed Russian field commander shown in the video was Colonel General Rustam Muradov. It is notable that Muradov is responsible for the Vuhledar sector of Donetsk Oblast, where several assaults have failed in the last three months.
UK Defence Intelligence remarks that until recently, the Russian command likely saw a breakthrough at Vuhledar as a critical way to achieve an operationally significant breakthrough in Ukraine’s lines. Russian planners are likely facing the dilemma of attempting another Vuhledar assault or supporting intense fighting further north near Bakhmut and Kremina.
Background:
- Earlier, UK Defence Intelligence reported that the Ukrainian defence of Bakhmut continues to degrade forces on both sides.
- Western intelligence estimates Russia's losses in recent months in the battles for the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast to be 20,000-30,000 mercenaries from the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC).
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