ANKARA

The Wagner Group was "promised" more ammunition and weapons to continue its fight against Ukrainian forces in the eastern city of Bakhmut, the head of the Russian mercenary group said Sunday.

"Tonight we received an order for the first time in all this time, in which they (Defense Ministry) promise to give us ammunition and weapons — as much as we need to continue further actions," Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an audio statement on Telegram.

"They swear to us that everything that is necessary will be placed on the flanks so that the enemy does not cut us off."

Prigozhin also said the ministry told them they could act in Bakhmut "as we see fit," adding that Sergey Surovikin, commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces, was tasked with making "all decisions in the framework of the military operations of the Wagner PMC (private military company) in cooperation with the Defense Ministry."

Prigozhin on Friday threatened to withdraw his fighters from Bakhmut if the ministry failed to provide them with more ammunition, adding that his group could take control of Bakhmut by May 9 — this coming Tuesday — but its offensive was stalled due to an ammunition shortage.

Prigozhin said he decided to withdraw the units from Bakhmut because in the absence of ammunition, the Wagner fighters "are doomed to senseless death."

Russian forces have been trying for months to capture Bakhmut, a transport and logistics hub in Ukraine's Donetsk region, which is part of the largely Russian-speaking industrialized Donbas region.​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​Russia last year, amid its now 14-month-old war on Ukraine, claimed to have annexed the area, in a declaration rejected by the EU, the US, Türkiye, and others.