Russian Defence Ministry: Ukraine's Armed Forces take advantage of Prigozhin’s "provocation", prepare offensive near Bakhmut

The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are taking advantage of Yevgeny Prigozhin's "provocation to destabilise the situation", and concentrating forces for an offensive on the Bakhmut front.

Source: Russian Defence Ministry on Telegram

Details: The Ministry of Defence of Russia stressed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have concentrated units of the 35th Marine Brigade and the 36th Mechanised Brigade on the Bakhmut tactical front, "at the starting lines for offensive operations".

Background:

• Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed that the regular Russian army had launched a missile strike on the Wagnerites’ rear camps. Prigozhin added that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had fled Rostov like a coward and "that creature will be stopped". Russia’s Ministry of Defence called this statement a provocation.
• Prigozhin has criticised Shoigu and the General Staff for the failure of the hostilities, stating that Ukraine had not planned to attack Donbas in 2022. He said that Russian officials wanted a war, and oligarchs wanted to make money.
• Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has been informed of the conflict between Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group, and Sergei Shoigu, the Russian Defence Minister. A criminal case is being initiated against Prigozhin for incitement to armed rebellion.
• Photos and videos of armoured vehicles on the streets of the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don are being posted on Russian social media following Prigozhin’s statement about a de facto declaration of war against the Russian army. Checkpoints are set up at entrances to Moscow.
• The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation called on the Wagner PMC militants not to obey the orders of Yevgeny Prigozhin and detain him, while  General Sergei Surovikin recorded a video message, calling on the mercenaries to "stop."

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