Wagner Group Captures a Russian Lieutenant-Colonel Who Fired on them Near Bakhmut

The fight between Wagner and the Russian MOD intensified today as the group released a video of their captive officer who is accused of ordering his men to fire on Wagner troops as they withdrew from Bakhmut , in a statement released by the group they claim they were clearing mines that had been laid on their route when they came under fire from Russian troops , the officer named as Lieutenant-Colonel Roman Gennadievich Venivitin says he ordered his troops to fire on their allies because he was drunk and personally didn't like them .... well that's his story.

More likely that the Russian MOD decided to clear themselves of the irritant that has been bothering them for a while as it pulled out of Bakhmut , hence the mines ... but hey who knows.

In response, Wagner claimed to have detained the commander of the Russian army’s 72nd brigade, on Monday releasing a video of him appearing to confess to giving the order to fire on the mercenaries’ vehicle, claiming he did so while drunk because he personally disliked the group. The officer, who introduced himself as Lieutenant-Colonel Roman Gennadievich Venivitin, appeared to have been roughed up by his captors.

The video came after Wagner released a statement, signed by a “commander” of the group, stating that he had received information that members of the official Russian army had been seen “mining the roads in the rear zone” of Wagner’s positions around Opytnoye and Ozarianovka, two towns in the Bakhmut area, on May 17.

Wagner forces began clearing the mines from the roads, but had to stop after coming under “small arms fire” from a Russian army brigade in Semigorje, a town about 20 kilometers south of Bakhmut, the statement said.

No one was injured in the attack, which destroyed a service truck, according to the Wagner statement. POLITICO has not been able to independently verify this information.
www.politico.eu...

Curiouser and curiouser.

a reply to: gortex

Any Russian speakers on ATS able to translate that video?

Because I'd sooner trust Chinese media over Politico

a reply to: AgarthaSeed

The video is from Wagner not Politico which I why I posted it as corroboration for the story.

a reply to: gortex

I'm still not convinced that all the reported tension between the Russian MOD and Wagner Group isn't a psyop designed to lull NATO (not just Ukraine) into thinking that the Russian forces are deeply divided and weakened.

Maybe not, but I wouldn't put it past them.

a reply to: incoserv

I'm still not convinced that all the reported tension between the Russian MOD and Wagner Group isn't a psyop designed to lull NATO (not just Ukraine) into thinking that the Russian forces are deeply divided and weakened.

I am , having watched this thing unfold I think , as many here , that Prigozhin has pushed his luck too far with the statements he's made and his personal feud with the Russian MOD , laying mines so as to halt and attack your enemy is a tactic as old as mines themselves.

Saw this yesterday: here's a link to a transcribed copy of the video: twitter.com...

a reply to: incoserv
It could still be a psyop but only Prigozhin and Putin are in on it.
In that case,lower wagnerites may hate the russian army due to Prigozhins rants about them.

But in this instance,I reckon it may just be what it claims-many of the intercepted phone calls have mentioned how russians shoot the wagners if they retreat so I can understand they get pissed off.
The captive was lucky they didn't decide to shoot him.

I said it before. Russia is going to piss this guy off. And well he has an army at his disposal. 50K troops supposedly. It probably won't take too much more for him to gather all his troops and take a trip to the Kremlin. Probably after Putin tries to assassinate him.

Yeah it's a crazy situation, either a beginning of a larger conflict, perhaps even a civil war... or it's Putin doing what he does best -- murder his own people in order to maintain and solidify power.

Prigozhin might be in for a two sided war.


P.S. Aren't Russian officers always drunk? That's no excuse.

All the propaganda fed to us by the MIC on how the Russian military is the second strongest in the world.. It looks like from reports they are the second strongest in Ukraine and not the world after all.

Many reports of drunk Russian troops and even reports of infighting resulting in commanders being killed by their own troops; or troops being thrown into pits without food or water for drinking or some other infraction. Just be glad we are not there participating in this goat rope..

There was a time when I thought that if Russian troops remove themselves from Ukraine the war would end... Now I am not so sure as there are more troops joining the Russian freedom movement and striking inside Russia.

A big can of worms has been opened for both sides and all those involved around the world except for China.

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: AgarthaSeed

The video is from Wagner not Politico which I why I posted it as corroboration for the story.

No the video is from Kanal13 who have been caught numerous times spreading propaganda. Like the time wagner was supposed to be out of ammo and it turned out they were just requesting a resupply.

You have absolutely no proof where this video came from other than where you are TOLD it came from.

I'm curious if the rolls we're reversed would you believe it just as easily? I somehow doubt it...

a reply to: JAY1980

Are you daft or something lol
That video is just being reported on by him.
It was originally posted on another service I won't mention.
And specifically talked about by Prigozhin himself.
I watched the video within an hour of its release.
Do some digging and find where these are being posted.
Then after you figure that out look for the exact opposite.
In doing so maybe you would have a better understanding and actually contribute instead of attacking members whom are only trying ro put this info out for us to discuss.

a reply to: JAY1980

No the video is from Kanal13 who have been caught numerous times spreading propaganda

No, the video was filmed by Wagner and posted to their telegram channel Kanal13 just reposted it to YouTube so we can all see it and smile.

Your claim that it's propaganda is to be expected as it is just another example of Russia's war unraveling.