MOSCOW: The boss of Russia鈥檚 Wagner mercenary group on Tuesday accused a Russian military unit of fleeing positions near Bakhmut in Ukraine and said the state was incapable of defending its country.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose influence has risen hugely in Moscow鈥檚 Ukraine offensive, has in recent days released a series of scathing videos attacking Russia鈥檚 military leadership.
鈥淭oday one of the units of the defense ministry fled from one of our flanks... exposing the front,鈥� Prigozhin said in a video.
He has threatened to pull his fighters out of Bakhmut on May 10 if he did not receive badly needed ammunition.
The mercenary group has spearheaded Moscow鈥檚 fight for the eastern Ukrainian city.
Prigozhin said soldiers were fleeing because of the 鈥渟tupidity鈥� of Russian army commanders, who he said were giving 鈥渃riminal orders.鈥�
鈥淪oldiers should not die because of the absolute stupidity of their leadership,鈥� Prigozhin said.
He released the video on Russia鈥檚 Victory Day, when Moscow celebrates the Soviet victory over the Nazis in World War II.
Russia鈥檚 defense ministry said in a statement later in the day that 鈥渁ssault troops鈥� 鈥� normally a reference to Wagner units 鈥� were 鈥渃ontinuing to fight in the western part鈥� of Bakhmut.
The ministry said Russian paratroopers 鈥減rovided assistance,鈥� without mentioning Prigozhin鈥檚 accusation of soldiers abandoning their posts.
In his unprecedented attack on the Russian army, Prigozhin said Tuesday that Moscow鈥檚 top generals were trying to 鈥渄eceive鈥� President Vladimir Putin over the Kremlin鈥檚 Ukraine campaign.
鈥淚f all the tasks are being carried out in such a way as to deceive the commander-in-chief (Putin), then either he will rip your arse or the Russian people will 鈥� who will be angry that the war is lost,鈥� Prigozhin said.
As Ukraine prepares for a spring offensive, the outspoken 61-year-old questioned the Kremlin鈥檚 ability to defend the country.
鈥淲hy is the state not able to defend its country?鈥� Prigozhin said in the video, adding that Ukraine was hitting Russian border regions 鈥渟uccessfully.鈥�
Prigozhin published the video as Moscow celebrated its Victory Day with a grand military parade on Red Square that was televised across the country.
He said Ukraine was preparing for an offensive 鈥渢hat will be on the ground, not on TV.鈥�
鈥淪o far, in our country everyone thinks that everything needs to be done on TV.鈥�
Russia has provided near round-the-clock coverage of its offensive, showing the army in an exclusively positive light.

Meanwhile The Times newspaper reported Tuesday that Britain is set to formally blacklist the group as a terrorist organization to increase pressure on Russia.

Wagner mercenaries have spearheaded Russia鈥檚 months-long assault on Bakhmut in the industrial Donbas region.
After two months of building a legal case, proscription or a formal blacklisting of the group was 鈥渋mminent鈥� and likely to be enacted within weeks, the newspaper reported citing a government source.
This would make it a criminal offense to belong to Wagner, attend its meetings, encourage support for it or carry its logo in public, The Times said. It would also impose financial sanctions on the group and there would be implications for Wagner鈥檚 ability to raise money if any funds went through British financial institutions, the newspaper added.
Britain鈥檚 foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Bakhmut has been under Russian attack for more than nine months, with Russia鈥檚 Wagner Group mercenaries leading repeated attempts to advance on what was once a city of 70,000.
The group鈥檚 leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said in a social media message on Monday that his troops were beginning to receive ammunition needed to press their advance. Troops had advanced a maximum of 130 meters (400 feet) amid fierce fighting, Prigozhin said.