Wagner boss accuses Russian military leaders of targeting his troops

The head of the Wagner mercenary group has accused Russian military leaders of targeting his troops.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said the attack happened after he criticised the country’s top brass in an explosive outburst on the Telegram messaging app.

In a video, he had said the Kremlin’s rationale for invading Ukraine last February was based on lies – and the “evil” of Russia’s military leadership must be stopped.

Prigozhin has since claimed the country’s defence ministry conducted missile strikes at Wagner’s rear camps on Friday – killing scores of his fighters.

In a statement, the Russian defence ministry denied this – describing the allegations as “untrue and an informational provocation”.

According to the TASS news agency, President Vladimir Putin has been made aware of the latest developments, and “necessary measures are being taken”.

It has also been reported that the FSB security service has now opened a criminal case against Prigozhin for armed mutiny.