After the leader of the prisoners, Prigozhin, made a demarche and actually issued an ultimatum to the Kremlin, announcing his intention to withdraw from Bakhmut on May 10, russia’s Ministry of Defense was simply forced to react.
At the same time, the reaction itself demonstrated the weakness of the position of the Minister of Defense, Shoigu, who managed to "assign the task to Colonel General Kuzmenkov to keep under special control the issue of continuous and rhythmic supply of military groups in the areas of special military operations with all necessary weapons and military equipment."
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Defense Express notes that Kuzmenkov has been in the post of deputy for logistical support of russia’s Minister of Defense only since April 30. Prior to that, this position was held by Mizintsev, who after his dismissal went to PMC Wagner to be Prigozhin’s deputy.
And in general, such a reaction on the part of the Ministry of Defense, in addition to the admission of guilt, demonstrated only absolute weakness, since one of the units, which is actually an independent force structure, staged a riot and reported desertion. At the same time, there are no conditions in the message itself, only a statement about abandoning the positions due to the fact that PMC Wagner will not receive ammunition due to Shoigu's jealousy.
Such a statement on the part of Moscow is a manifestation of frank weakness and demonstration of the fact that it is possible to publicly demand everything necessary from Moscow and issue ultimatums. And such demands rest solely on the imagination of russians themselves: ammunition, armored vehicles, their own aircraft, a helicopter and suitcases with money. And it will become even more difficult to manage such an army, which is formed from separate fragments, each of them has own leader, and most importantly – a sponsor, since it will be necessary to satisfy the individual wishes of everyone.
At the same time, the Kremlin itself distanced from this issue as much as possible, and the press secretary Peskov announced that it was a question of the Ministry of Defense.
Read more: "Wagner's" Mutiny: Convicts' Commander Prigozhin Blackmails Kremlin With Withdrawal From Bakhmut on May 10
