JAKARTA - The head of Russian mercenary The Wagner Group dismissed a United States newspaper report on Monday that said he had offered to betray Russian soldiers, while the Kremlin called it a "hoax".
The Washington Post, citing US intelligence leaks, said Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin had offered Ukrainian intelligence in January to reveal the locations of regular Russian troops in exchange for Ukraine withdrawing its forces in Bakhmut.
Wagner's troops had been at the forefront of the Russian offensive, seeking to capture the eastern city in the longest and bloodiest battle of the war. Prigozhin himself has emerged as a staunch critic of Russia's top military brass, accusing commanders of betraying his men by withholding needed ammunition.
The Post said Prigozhin's offer had been rejected by Ukraine, which did not trust him.
In an audio message uploaded by his press service on Telegram on Monday, Prigozhin called the accusations "nonsense", suggesting that residents of the Moscow suburb of Rublyovka, which is home to the business and political elite, were behind the attack on him.
Prigozhin denied having met Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence, in Africa, saying he had not been on the continent since the start of the Ukrainian conflict and describing the idea of having a phone call with him as ludicrous.
Since last week, Ukrainian troops have achieved their biggest victory in six months, by retaking the area around Bakhmut.
Prigozhin has released daily messages criticizing the top brass of Russia's regular military for failing to adequately supply its troops and abandoning territory on Bakhmut's flanks.
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The Russian Ministry of Defense has not explicitly responded to Prigozhin's complaints publicly, but has repeatedly said it is providing all the resources and support Russian forces need.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the report "looks like the latest hoax".
Separately, a White House spokesperson declined to comment on the Washington Post report, which was based on classified US documents leaked to a group chat platform Discord.
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