The leader of the notorious Russian mercenary group Wagner said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been "misleading" his people when it comes to Ukraine’s war progress.
Kyiv has begun what is expected to be a substantial counteroffensive as it looks to oust Russian forces from southern and eastern Ukraine, and it has already seen some success in repelling Russian troops from at least eight settlements.
Putin has attempted to counter any suggestion that Ukraine is making headway in its offensive and claimed its efforts were failing.
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On Wednesday, Putin claimed that Ukraine had taken heavy losses in its latest push and that already there was a "lull" in Kyiv’s counteroffensive.
However, Yevgeny Prigozhin, once a top Putin ally, took issue with the Kremlin chief’s comments and said he and the Ministry of Defense "are misleading the Russian people."
"Huge chunks [of land] have been handed over to the enemy," he added in an audio message posted to his Telegram according to a translation by the Moscow Times.
Prigozhin did not go into detail as to where his troops had given up territory to Ukrainian forces, though Ukraine earlier this week said it had made progress in the vital Zaporizhzhia region – a claim that was substantiated by a Russian official in the area.
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"The enemy's 'wave-like' offensives yielded results, despite enormous losses," Vladimir Rogov said in a Telegram post Sunday.
Kyiv’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar acknowledged that while Ukrainian forces were making progress in the South, the situation remained more "complicated" in the East.
Wagner forces alongside Russian military troops have been unable to secure areas in Donetsk like Bakhmut despite months of immense efforts and brutal warfare.
Prigozhin said Ukraine’s ability to not only hold its positions in the East but advance across the Dnieper River and gain territory in Zaporizhzhia was being concealed from the Russian public.
"All of this is being totally hidden from everyone," he said. "One day Russia will wake up to discover that Crimea too has been handed over to Ukraine."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy has said he will not stop resisting Russia until all of Ukraine is free from Russian occupation, including Crimea, which Russia has occupied since 2014.
Western defense analysts have said that if Ukraine wants to secure its southern regions, including Crimea, and begin pinching Russian troops by pushing up from the South, then it must recapture the Zaporizhzhia region.
Reuters contributed to this report.
