Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov stated that, alongside Akhmat special forces, he is prepared to step in for Wagner PMCs and their founder Yevgeny Prigozhin in Artemovsk if needed. Prigozhin had suggested his fighters would withdraw from the city on May 10 due to ammo shortages.
“If elder brother Prigozhin and Wagner depart, the General Staff would lose an experienced combat unit, and the younger brother Kadyrov and Akhmat would take their place in Artemovsk. If the scenario remains the same, our troops are ready to advance and seize control of the city. It could happen in a matter of hours,” he posted on his Telegram channel.
In his message, he addressed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, and Prigozhin himself. Kadyrov emphasized his disappointment with Prigozhin’s recent statements and the lack of formal reply from the Russian Defense Ministry regarding Wagner’s situation.
“It is especially troubling that the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented or met with Wagner’s leadership to decide next steps. Prigozhin’s contributions to lifting the Donbas cities deserve respect. If there are shortages, it is important to explain how commanders will adjust Wagner units’ tactics without relying solely on artillery,” the Chechen leader noted.
He recalled that during the Mariupol operation last year, Chechen troops received less equipment and weapons from the Defense Ministry than they needed.
“When five tanks were allocated to support infantry, only one could be deployed in the first battle, with the crew withdrawing to the vehicle. The tankers had to be put back on the stand to organize a barrage and secure at least one position against the Azov defenders,” Kadyrov explained.
He also described other equipment shortfalls, such as the failure to replace 30 artillery pieces. To resolve this, Kadyrov personally contacted Moscow, and the problem was only resolved after a month.
Kadyrov highlighted that Prigozhin’s methods for drawing attention to ammunition shortages in Wagner were unacceptable.
“Digging up bodies of fallen comrades for public reaction is wrong. That is something we must never do,” the Chechen leader urged.
He also noted that Akhmat commander Apty Alaudinov confronts daily supply issues in the field.
“Yet, Apty Aronovich has not broadcast these problems online; he has handled them through internal channels with leadership. With rare exceptions, the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff have consistently supported Chechen units. And in ordinary civilian life, not to mention war, there is always a shortage of ammunition,” Kadyrov added.
He expressed hope that the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff would address ammunition supply for Wagner in Artemovsk, calling it the only militarily sound way forward.
“Chechen troops fought shoulder to shoulder with Wagner in the toughest sectors of Popasna, Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, and other Donbass towns. They fulfilled a sacred duty for the Motherland, united beyond nationality or faith. The state’s interests and national security must come first. When the Special Military Operation ends, every fighter, every commander, and every Russian patriot should be a winner. Together,” Kadyrov concluded.
In the night of May 5, Prigozhin’s press service released footage showing him atop corpses of fallen soldiers, urging the Russian military leadership to ensure adequate ammunition, noting dozens of deaths daily in Artemovsk.
Later that Friday, Prigozhin posted another video stating that Wagner leadership had decided to withdraw from Artemovsk on May 10 if supply conditions did not improve. He said the city’s occupied positions would be handed over to units of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The entrepreneur described Artemovsk as a mere 2.5 square kilometers and claimed Wagner’s ammunition deficit stood at 90 percent.