Wagner boss says handing Bakhmut to Russian army, Japan scrambles jets

“We are withdrawing units from Bakhmut today. We are handing over positions to the military, ammunition and everything,” Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a video.

“We pull back, we rest, we prepare and then we will get new tasks,” added Prigozhin, who was dressed in tactical body armour and a military helmet.

Earlier this week, he conceded that around 10,000 prisoners he had recruited to fight in Ukraine had been killed on the battlefield.

The 61-year-old Kremlin ally toured Russian prisons last year to persuade inmates to fight with Wagner in exchange for a promised amnesty on their return – should they survive.

Wagner’s announcement came days after Moscow’s military said it had deployed jets and artillery on Russian soil against a “sabotage” group that crossed from Ukraine.

In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of terrorising Ukrainians by launching a new wave of Iranian-made attack drones at targets across his country.

“The enemy continued to terrorise Ukraine by launching 36 Shaheds. None reached their target,” Zelensky said on social media.

“I’m grateful to our air defence forces for the 100-per cent result.”

The Ukrainian military said Russia was probably targeting key infrastructure and military facilities in Western Ukraine.