The Russian infighting appears to be worsening as the Kremlin-connected Wagner Group is in conflict with the Russian army, according to reports.
The Wagner Group claimed on Sunday that Russian soldiers shot their paramilitaries near Bakhmut in Ukraine, destroying one of the mercenaries’ trucks.
In response, Wagner claimed to have captured Lieutenant-Colonel Roman Gennadievich Venivitin of the 72nd brigade, and on Monday released a video of Venivitin confessing to ordering the firing on the mercenaries’ car, saying he did so while intoxicated because he disliked the group.
According to Wagner’s statement signed by the commander, the Russian army was apparently spotted “mining the roads in the rear zone” of Wagner’s positions near Opytnoye and Ozarianovka, two towns in the Bakhmut region, on May 17.
The statement went on to claim Wagner soldiers started to clear the explosives from the roads but were forced to stop after coming under “small arms fire” from a Russian army brigade in Semigorje, a town approximately 20 kilometers south of Bakhmut.
No one was reportedly injured in the attack, and POLITICO has yet to independently verify the information.
This comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin is speculated to give up Crimea following the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine.
Although Russia has yet to confirm if they were behind the blasts, many believe that Putin’s men were responsible for the destruction of the dam in southern Ukraine.
The dam reportedly plays an important role in sustaining Crimea because its reservoir feeds the North Crimean Canal.
“When you have lost territory, then you destroy it,” said Anders Aslund, an economist and adjunct professor at Georgetown University. “I think that this is something that you do when you give up. It’s not an offensive action but sour grapes. [Russia is saying], ‘We have lost the apple; we are destroying as much as possible.”
Aslund, who has served as an economic adviser to the governments of Russia and Ukraine, continued by explaining that the dam’s demolition could “destroy Crimea’s agriculture,” as most of the water from the canal is used for farming or industry, and around a fifth is used for drinking water.
