Wagner's commander claims his soldiers are dying while Russia's military chiefs "sit like fat cats."

The head of the private military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has challenged Russia’s military leadership and blamed defense chiefs for “tens of thousands” of Wagner casualties in the Ukraine conflict. In a video posted on Telegram, Prigozhin blames Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the Russian armed forces Gen. Valery Gerasimov for the lack of ammunition. He also praised the former Deputy Defense Minister Mikhail Mizintsev, who has recently joined the Wagner Group as its deputy commander. Prigozhin has taken on a growing role in the Ukraine conflict as Russian forces falter, and has claimed credit for territorial gains in the battles raging around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Shoigu inspected troops and military equipment in Russia’s southern military district on Friday, where he promised military supplies.