Wagner Leader Accuses Russian Troops of Fleeing Bakhmut Amid Ukrainian Advances.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the boss of Russian mercenary group Wagner, accused a Russian brigade of abandoning its position in front-line Bakhmut, allowing Ukraine to seize territory. Prigozhin blamed "internal competition" for reducing supplies to Wagner and questioned the value of capturing Bakhmut, claiming that the city "has no strategic importance." Separately, a prominent Russian military blogger reported a complete lack of communication in the Bakhmut area between Wagner and the 72nd Brigade.