Wagner Mercenaries to Chechen Battalion, Russian Frontline Forces Play Hot Potato with Bakhmut While Advancing
After weeks of complaints from Wagner PMC Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin about lack of ammunition and shells, as well as intentional sabotage he claimed stemmed from Russian high command, it now seems Wagner mercenary group will be retiring from the Bakhmut frontlines, according to Prigozhin, and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov who will take his place. Wagner mercenaries have comprised the primary attacking force on the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut during the past year plus, taking heavy causalities for a long time but especially recently (Prigozhin recently said they lost 100 men taking 100 square meters of land). This announced changing of Russian frontline forces, although both separate from the main structure, came after Prigozhin and Kadyrov exchanged a number of statements over the past days. First Prigozhin released a few final dramatic videos demanding ammo and criticizing Russian military leaders, even using a backdrop of dead Wagner fighters for emphasis. Then Kadyrov released a video saying he would be willing to take over responsibility for Bakhmut from Wagner. At that point Prigozhin made a request to Russian Minister of Defense Shoigu for the transfer. Finally today statements and auditory confirmations have been published by both militant leaders that the supposed rotation of fighters will happen. If real, and executed by the promised date of change of May 10th, this shift from Wagnerites to Kadyrovites will change fundamentally the operation and perception of Russian Armed Forces and aligned combatants in Ukraine.