In the Ukrainian chaos there is now also war between the private military company Wagner, in the service of Moscow, and the Russian army.

Wagner said she captured a lieutenant colonel chief of a Russian army unit who opened fire on militiamen while he was "drunk."

This was reported by the head of Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin on Telegram. The news was published after Prighozin himself accused the Russians of having mined the roads by which Wagner was to withdraw from Bakhmut to hand her over to the Moscow army last Friday.

According to what was published on the Prigozhin channel, on May 17 Wagner militiamen were targeted by fire from Russian soldiers in the Semigorye region, near Bakhmut. The militiamen under Prigozhin's orders reportedly returned fire, capturing some of the Russian soldiers. Among them, their commander, identified as Lieutenant Colonel Roman Venevitin, head of the 72nd Motorized Rifle Brigade.

In a video, the officer confesses that he had opened fire on Wagner's men due to a "personal dislike" and adds that he acted under the influence of alcohol. Moscow's Defense Ministry has so far not commented on the episode. On May 20, Prigozhin said that the whole of Bakhmut had been taken by his men, and on the 25th he announced the start of the withdrawal to hand over the city to the Moscow army.

(Unioneonline/L)