Russia’s defense ministry acknowledged the retreat but described it as a “regrouping”. “This counter-offensive shows very well that the Russian armed forces are exhausted,” says Luzin. It has given Kyiv’s forces battlefield momentum and Ukraine’s western allies reassurance that it will prevail with their support. By cutting off Russia’s main north-south supply line and occupying a vital staging ground for Moscow’s troops, Ukraine has in effect scuppered the Kremlin’s stated objective of “liberating” the entire Donbas region, say analysts. “Either mercenaries and inmates, or your children do - decide for yourselves,” Prigozhin wrote in a subsequent social media post. The apparent drive to recruit prisoners for Prigozhin’s militia has made Russia’s manpower problems starker still.

Prigozhin appeared to confirm the video’s authenticity after denying the group’s very existence for years.

Russia’s covert operations are now overt: Wagner advertises on billboards across Russia. This is most likely due to being offline or JavaScript being disabled in your browser. You are seeing a snapshot of an interactive graphic.

Agony column brave words bloody