Wagner Group releases graphic video of corpses in desperate plea for more ammunition

The Wagner Group released a video of a stack of corpses on Friday to make a point about the shortage of ammunition it was facing, as its leader said he would risk arrest to get his fighters more shells and bullets.

The graphic clip, posted by a Telegram account linked to the Russian mercenary group, showed hundreds of dead bodies – allegedly of Wagner fighters – to show the human cost of the ammunition shortage.

“We’re losing our fighters every day: it would be half as much if the military officials were to supply us with weapons and ammunition on time,” an unidentified man in a hazmat suit said in the video.

“Let us wage this war. Let us defend our country.”

On Friday, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner’s owner, on Friday echoed the same complaint, saying that he is “knocking on every door” to get his hands on ammunition.

Mismanagement of invasion criticised

Mr Prigozhin, who has openly lashed out at the Russian military for mismanaging the disastrous invasion of Ukraine, said he was recently able to secure some mortars and anti-tank rounds from unofficial sources, including a Chechen commander.

“As far as regular supplies go, I have knocked on the door of every office in Moscow I know and I will try to do that until the lads get all they need,” he said.

He added he would continue “even if they handcuff me at one of those offices and jail me for ‘discrediting the armed forces’,” in a reference to Russia’s notorious war censorship law that criminalises criticism of the invasion.

It came a day after a video appeal to the Russian defence ministry showing men in camouflage calling themselves Wagner’s artillery men was posted on Telegram.

“We’re sure that you have ammunition somewhere at the warehouses. We badly need it,” the unidentified men said. “We would greatly appreciate it if you could assist us and help deliver that ammunition.”

The tone of the video was far more respectful than a similar appeal last autumn in which alleged Wagner fighters were heard calling General Valery Gerasimov, head of the Russian general staff, a “f----t” for chronic delays in supplies to the front.

With the Russian army suffering embarrassing defeats in recent months, Wagner has emerged as the Kremlin’s best hope for battlefield gains - even if incremental, such as the capture of the salt-mining town of Soleder last month.

Mr Prigozhin has also claimed to have captured the village of Paraskoviivka just north of Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine that has been the scene of the longest-running battle of Moscow’s offensive.

“Despite the blockade of ammunition, despite heavy losses and bloody battles, the guys completely occupied the entire territory of Paraskoviivka,” he said.

Wagner’s successes have come with a heavy death toll. On Friday, the White House estimated that Wagner had suffered more than 30,000 casualties in Ukraine, with 90 per cent of its recruits killed since December being convicts.

Britain’s Ministry of Defence on Friday estimated that among Wagner’s recruits from prisons, which have been deployed in large numbers in recent months, there has been a casualty rate of around 50 per cent.

Igor Girkin, a former commander of separatist forces in Ukraine, on Friday voiced concern that Wagner’s ammunition shortage could compromise Russia’s ongoing offensive in eastern Ukraine.

“Unless supplies for Wagner improve, we can safely forget about seizing Bakhmut any time soon or ever,” he said on his Telegram channel.

Mr Girkin also suggested that Ukrainian troops might respond with counter-offensives if reports about ammunition shortages are confirmed.