Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner group of Russian mercenaries, said on Monday that his troops will leave Bakhmut before 1 June.
“On the western frontiers (from the city) Defensive positions were formed, as the Wagner Group will leave Artimovosk from May 25 to June 1. (Russian name of Bakhmut),” he said on his Telegram channel.
“If the Ministry of Defense does not have enough troops (to defend Bakhmut), there are thousands of generals, you can form a regiment of generals, give each of them a rifle and everything will be fine,” said Prigozhin.
Wagner’s boss confirmed the statements of Denis Pushilin, interim leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic annexed by Russia, about the start of mine clearance work in Bakhmut.
Russia announced this Sunday that it had captured Bakhmut after nearly ten months of intense fighting that devastated it.