Russia-Ukraine war: Wagner chief says Ukraine is planning offensive

The leader of the Russian Wagner mercenary group warned the Russian defense minister that Ukrainian forces were planning an offensive that would aim to cut off his fighters from the rest of the Russian troops. The warning comes amidst heavy fighting that is still taking place in the key eastern city of Bakhmut.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on Monday said in a letter that warned Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu that Ukrainian forces are planning an imminent offensive with the goal of cutting off his fighters from the rest of the Russian army. Prigozhin said the offensive was planned for late March or the beginning of April.

“I ask you to take all necessary measures to prevent the Wagner private military company being cut off from the main forces of the Russian army, which will lead to negative consequences for the special military operation,” said Prigozhin referring to the term that Moscow has used to describe its invasion of Ukraine.

This marks the first of such correspondence by Prigozhin to Shoigu. The move also appeared to have two possible goals of either wrongfooting Ukrainian commanders and blame Shoigu should the alleged Ukrainian offensive succeed. Prigozhin also said he intends to provide details of the Ukrainian forces’ plan and his own proposal to counter such an offensive in an attachment to the letter. Prigozhin also did not indicate how he knew about Ukraine’s possible plans.

Prigozhin said Wagner has control of around 70 percent of Bakhmut, which they have been trying to capture for months. In separate comments published by a media outlet on Telegram, Prigozhin said that there was a “high probability” that the Russian city of Belgorod in southern Russia would be targeted by the coming offensive from Kyiv.

On Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a visit that highlighted Tokyo’s support for Ukraine in the war that has been going on for more than a year. Kishida had been the only leader of the G7 countries that had yet to visit Ukraine. Kishida also toured the town of Bucha, where its mayor said over 400 civilians were killed last year by Russian forces. Kishida also laid a wreath outside a church as he paid his respects.

“The world was astonished to see innocent civilians in Bucha killed one year ago. I really feel great anger at the atrocity upon visiting that very place here,” said Kishida.