Wagner’s chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed to have had a “promise” from Moscow to receive more ammunition and armaments.
The tension goes down again between Wagner and Moscow. The leader of the paramilitary group, Evguéni Prigojine, said on Sunday May 7 that he had “the promise” from Moscow to receive more ammunition and armaments to continue fighting in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmout. On the side of the Zaporijjia nuclear power plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) alerted on Saturday, late in the day, to the risk of a “serious nuclear accident”. Franceinfo summarizes what to remember from this day of conflict.
Wagner chief says he got ‘promise’ from Moscow to receive requested ammunition
Evguéni Prigojine, announced on Sunday that he had “the promise” from Moscow to receive more ammunition and armaments to continue fighting in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmout. The boss of Wagner had been threatening for several days to withdraw from this locality. “We are sworn that everything necessary will be provided to our flanks (around Bakhmout) so that the enemy does not pierce them and we are told that we can act in Artiomovsk (Soviet name of Bakhmout) as deemed necessary”he assured in an audio message published by his press service.
Yevgeny Prigojine also explained that General Sergey Surovikin would henceforth take “all decisions regarding Wagner’s military operations in cooperation with the Russian Defense Ministry”. “He’s the only person with army general stars who knows how to fight”, launched Evguéni Prigojine. Sergueï Surovikin, reputed to be ruthless, had been appointed in October commander of the Russian forces in Ukraine, to the great satisfaction of the boss of Wagner, and had coordinated the withdrawal of the Russian army from the city of Kherson.
After the explosion, writer Zakhar Prilepin says he won’t be intimidated
“I tell the demons, you will not intimidate anyone”. Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin assured, Sunday, not to be intimidated after having survived the explosion of his car in Russia on Saturday. “Thank you to everyone who prayed, because it would have been impossible to survive such an explosion”said on Telegram this fierce support for the Kremlin, adding that “God exists”. He paid tribute to his driver Alexander Shubin who perished in the explosion. “My dear friend, my protector for eight years, is dead”, did he declare. Zakhar Prilepin also said that he dropped off his daughter “five minutes before the explosion”.
Russia on Saturday accused the “godfathers” of Ukraine, and first and foremost the United States, to share the responsibility “terrorist attacks” committed on its soil by kyiv, according to her. Ukraine has denied any involvement.
Russia says it repelled another drone attack
The Russian administration in annexed Crimea explained on Telegram that it had repelled a raid during the night “a dozen drones” Ukrainians on Sevastopol, at the moment when a counter-offensive from kyiv is looming. Two craft were shot down over the sea and another fell in a forest after having “lost control”detailed Mikhail Razvojayev, governor of the city, according to whom “no infrastructure (…) suffered any damage” in Sevastopol. The day before, the Russian authorities had announced that they had shot down a Ukrainian ballistic missile over Crimea, an event rarely reported.
IAEA wants to avoid a “serious accident” near the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned of the risk of a “serious nuclear accident” at the Zaporizhia power plant, occupied by Russian forces in Ukraine. A nearby town, where most of the employees live, is currently being evacuated. This plant, the largest in Europe, has been targeted several times by gunfire since the start of the conflict, raising fears of a disaster.