The commander of the Russian private military "Wagner" group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that his forces are now about a kilometer away from the city center of Bakhmut, which has been witnessing fierce battles for months, and warned of a "disappointing scenario" in the event of not receiving more ammunition.
In a video clip posted on the Telegram platform, Prigozhin said, pointing to a building at a distance from where he was standing, "At that five-storey building where smoke is rising, there is the city administration building in the center of Bakhmut. It is about 1.2 kilometers from here."
He added, "From this direction, the Ukrainians will try to launch a counterattack from the north. It is important that we get more ammunition to protect the parties. If the parties are closed, everything will be as required, and if it does not happen, we will be trapped with the Ukrainian forces in the middle of Bakhmut."
Wagner Group fighters are leading attacks against cities in eastern Ukraine, including Bakhmut, which is witnessing the longest and fiercest battle since the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine.
Both sides have suffered major losses in the vicinity of this city.
Prigozhin had repeatedly declared victories on the battlefield, criticized senior Russian officers and accused the military administration in Moscow and army commanders of not sharing ammunition with his forces.
In the video released on Saturday, he said he was ready to ask for forgiveness from top Russian leaders, but at the same time appeared to mock Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.
He said they were "outstanding military leaders," adding that Russia's greatest military leaders, including Georgy Zhukov and Alexander Suvorov, "could have learned" from them.
"I absolutely support all of their initiatives," he added.