Ukrainian armed forces strike large Russian base in Makeevka

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The head of the group has blamed the Kremlin’s lack of equipment for the stalled progress in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. Russian troops have been battling in Bakhmut for weeks in an effort to seize “a single home”.

Russia has focused its fighting in Bakhmut since August as it is one of the biggest towns still held by Ukrainians.

Russian casualties have skyrocketed in the region and British intelligence has revealed that the Kremlin’s forces are not thought to make a breakthrough.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group published a video on social media in which he said: “Everyone has a question, when are you taking Bakhmut?”

The 61-year-old went on to explain why his mercenaries have so far failed in their attacks in which he said, “it’s a fortress in every home”.

“The guys lock horns for every home, sometimes not just for one day. Sometimes for weeks over a single house.

“They take one home, they take a second, a third.”

He continued: “What is breaking through the defences? It’s taking one house.

“If we say there are 500 lines of defence [in Bakhmut], probably we won’t be wrong. A line of defence every ten metres.”

Recently the mercenary group has taken on a more key role in the war as Russia struggles to make gains.

Ahead of the invasion of Ukraine last February, it was thought that mercenaries from the group entered the country in order to complete false flag operations.

Mr Prigozhin is seen addressing troops in the video where they discuss the lack of equipment which is hindering their progress in the city.

He said: “We are lacking vehicles, BMP-3, and 100mm shells, in order to move through Arymovsk [Russian name for Bakhmut] quicker and with more confidence.

“We’re lacking ammunition and armoured vehicles.”

A Wagner soldier agreed with the leader saying: “We don’t have enough equipment, not enough BMP2 and shells.”

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The complaints come after Russian troops have grown frustrated with their commanders and the Kremlin for sending them ill-equipped to the frontlines.

The Wagner group has suffered heavy losses in the fighting in the Donetsk region and the leader was seen on New Year’s Day at a makeshift morgue.

The video posted online showed the Wagner head watching bodies on stretchers and in body bags put into the corner of a bunker.

He said: “Their contract has finished, they will go home next week. These are getting ready to be sent.

“Here lie Wagner fighters who died at the front. They are now being put in zinc coffins and they will return home.”

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