Russia's Mercenary Army About To Withdraw From Bakhmut

The leader of Russia's brutal mercenary force, the Wagner Group, has said his mercenaries are pulling out of the besieged city of Bakhmut next week due to chronic lack of ammunition, blaming the Russian military and its bureaucracy for the shortages. Prior to the withdrawal announcement, former convict and "Putin's chef," Yevgeny Prigozhin issued an angry video tirade against his rivals in the Russian defense ministry earlier today:

"In the video, Prigozhin stands in front of around 30 uniformed bodies lying on the ground. He says they are the bodies of Wagner fighters who died on Thursday alone.

Prigozhin speaks in a furious tone and uses numerous expletives in the video.

'These are someone’s fathers and someone’s sons,' Prigozhin says, pointing at the bodies. 'The scum that doesn’t give us ammunition will eat their guts in hell.'

He alleged that Russia’s regular army was supposed to protect the flanks as Wagner troops pushed forward but is 'barely holding on to them,' deploying 'tens and rarely hundreds' of troops."

The bitter rivalry with Russian armed forces led to the Kremlin saying that Prigozhin is in danger of assassination, something that would be applauded by both sides in the Ukrainian conflict. If he's not assassinated, he may one day find himself behind bars for overseeing war crimes in Ukraine. Recently, Prigozhin has recruited his "army" from Russian prisons, selecting men with violent records and convictions, promising pardons to those who last 6 months in frontline battle. His fighters have also been deployed to African countries, where they've been accused of committing atrocities against the populations.

(photo: War criminal Prigozhin ranting on video. Reuters)

 

Putin Honors Army Unit Accused Of War Crimes

Russia's war criminal thug leader Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine has produced some horrific moments, not the least of which was the massacre of civilians in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha last month. People walking or bicycling along the streets were shot for sport by vile Russian troops and left in the street for weeks where they fell. 

As if to underline for history his evil degeneracy, Putin honored the Russian Army brigade that engaged in war crimes in Bucha in a truly Orwellian fashion:

"Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday bestowed an honorary title on a brigade accused by Ukraine of "war crimes" and mass killings in the town of Bucha.

The announcement was made on the 54th day of Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine, with thousands killed and 12 million people fleeing their homes or country in the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

A decree signed by Putin gave the 64th Motor Rifle Brigade the title of 'Guards' for defending the 'Motherland and state interests' and praised the 'mass heroism and valour, tenacity and courage' of its members."  (our emphasis)

For Russian troops, it's a sign of heroism and valor to execute unarmed civilians trying to go about their lives, leaving some on the street, and others in mass graves, for which they will be honored by their corrupt and brutal leader. Their abominations against civilians are equal only to their gross incompetence and cowardice in fighting Ukraine's armed forces.

(photo: A mass grave of civilians in Bucha. Rodrigo Abd / AP)