See: Russian troops set fire to Bakhmut with phosphorus bombs

Yevgeny Prigozhin from the Wagner mercenary group said he would leave Bakhmut by May 10 if the Russian Defense Ministry did not increase the supply of ammunition Photo: Prigozhin Press Service /AP

It is not immediately clear whether the phosphorus bombs were fired by Wagner's mercenaries or the Russian military.

The Russian media did not report the attack, and the Russian Ministry of Defense did not respond to the report. allegations.

Phosphorus bombs cause widespread fires that are difficult to extinguish and are considered a war crime when used in civilian areas.

Previously, Russia was accused of using phosphorus weapons in Ukraine.

Bakhmut has been the center of some of the heaviest fighting of the war since August.

The Wagner mercenary group led the assault on Russia and captured most of the city, but on Friday its chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said he would leave before May 10, if the Russian Ministry of Defense does not increase ammunition stocks.

He accused the Russian Ministry of Defense of withholding ammunition and of the inevitable death of Wagner fighters, which revealed internal fighting within Russian troops.

Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya's staunch pro-Kremlin leader, offered his fighters as replacements for Wagner. Photo: Reuters/Chingis Kondarov

This apparent rift resurfaced Friday night when Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya's staunch pro-Kremlin leader, offered his fighters as replacements for Wagner and lambasted Mr. dead fighters.

“If Prigozhin leaves with his people, Kadyrov will come with his people, and nothing will change,” he said in a video on his Telegram channel.

On Saturday, Mr. Prigozhin replied that he was on communication with Mr. Kadyrov about replacing the Wagnerites with Chechen fighters.

“I am already in touch with his representatives to immediately start transferring positions so that on May 10 at 00:00, when, according to our calculations, we will completely exhaust our combat potential, our comrades will take our places and continue the assault,” he said.

In response to Bakhmut

The US-based Institute for the Study of War also reported that the Kremlin had stopped its offensive on Bakhmut, preparing to defend the territory captured from Ukraine after its invasion in February 2022.

Ukrainian commanders seriously noted the impending counteroffensive, but did not say where they would attack.

p>

Russian officials reportedly individuals in the occupied parts of Zaporozhye in southern Ukraine evacuated 70,000 people in anticipation of a counter-offensive. The Ukrainian authorities accused them of kidnapping.