Head of Russian Mercenary Asks for Help to Seize Ukraine's Bakhmut, After Dispute with Ministry of Defense?

Ukrainian soldiers in the protective ditch in Bakhmut. (Twitter/@DefenceU/Viktor Bominets)

JAKARTA - The head of Russia's Wagner Group mercenaries said Monday he needs the regular army to provide him with more ammunition, reinforcements and cover support if he is to win the months-long fierce battle for control of Ukraine's Bakhmut.

The call from Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin comes amid signs of a deepening rift between him and the defense ministry, which he has sharply criticized for months and accused of deliberately starving his troops, an allegation the ministry has denied.

Prigozhin's fighters, several of whom are convicts, have spearheaded the offensive in eastern Ukraine for months, focusing their efforts on the small town of Bakhmut, which the Russians call Artyomovsk and see as a useful springboard for capturing major cities like Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

Prigozhin, a former convict and ally of President Vladimir Putin said Friday his unit was "practically encircling Bakhmut", where fighting has intensified in the past week after months of bitter fighting, with Russian troops attacking from three sides.

But on Monday he said Ukraine had stationed troops in the town and surrounding area to try to push Wagner out of Bakhmut, so he needed help from Moscow to take the town.

"I am knocking on all doors and sounding the alarm about ammunition and reinforcements, and the need to cover our flanks," he said in a statement released by his press service.

"If everyone is coordinated, without the ambition of chaos and rampage and does this job, then we will block the Ukrainian armed forces. If not, then everyone will be in chaos," he said.

Earlier, Prigozhin said his representatives were denied entry to the headquarters of Russia's military command for Ukraine, and were still not getting enough ammunition despite repeated public complaints.

There was no immediate response from the Russian Defense Ministry. Since the start of this year, the Ukraine campaign has been led personally by Russia's top general, Chief of the General Staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov.

Prigozhin said his representation had been refused by army top brass a day after he asked for ammunition supplies.

"On March 5, I wrote a letter to the commander of the SMO (special military operations) group about the urgent need to allocate ammunition. On March 6, at 8 am, my representative at the headquarters canceled his permit and was denied access," Prigozhin said through his press service on Telegram.

He noted that Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, said he favored Bakhmut's continued defense and reinforcement, stressing Kyiv would fight for Bakhmut "to the end".

Doing so, he said, meant his men would need to completely encircle the Ukrainian forces inside Bakhmut.

"We also have to do our job to the end. But when the whole world gathers around you, you need someone to work with you," he added, referring to the Defense Ministry.