JAKARTA - The head of the Wagner Group's Russian mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin, complained on Tuesday that most of its fighters had not yet received the medal promised by President Vladimir Putin, for their struggle in the bloodiest fighting in Ukraine's war, alluding to the Ministry of Defense, which is a new chapter in the feud with Moscow's elite.
Wagner Group mercenaries founded by Prigozhin are known to have spearheaded an attack on the eastern city of Bakhmut which was captured by the Russian army last month, after a nine-month battle.
President Putin congratulated the Wagner Group and the Russian army at the time, saying everyone who contributed would get an award from the country.
However, Prigozhin, who publicly accused the Ministry of Defense and his leadership of being incompetent and failing to supply his troops adequately, said most of his men had not been awarded.
"From the state award for Bakhmut, only Russian Hero Stars have been received. Nothing has been given to fighters, most of the fighters. The list is on the Ministry of Defense," he said in a statement released by his press office.
"According to the information I got, there was a commotion about signing the award. Everyone had forgotten, they fought and died there," Prigozhin criticized, accusing the generals of "foaming themselves with knick-knacks".
There was no immediate reaction to his criticism from the Ministry of Defense for ignoring Prigozhin's public complaints.
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The criticism was conveyed when Prigozhin was in a deadlock with the Ministry of Defense, in connection with orders to groups of mercenaries like his, to sign an official contract with the ministry before July 1.
The move will integrate Wagner and Prigozhin into the command structure of the Ministry of Defense, in a subordinate position.
Prigozhin initially refused to sign anything, and since then said, without providing details, he proposed an alternative contract himself.
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