Wagwag leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has proposed a controversial deal with Ukrainian officials: the locations of invading Russian troops in exchange for sparing his privately-hired army from the front lines of battle in Bakhmut, where they have faced heavy losses. This arrangement was allegedly revealed through US military intelligence documents shared on a Discord server in Massachusetts.
According to anonymous sources within the Ukrainian government, two unnamed Ukrainian intelligence officers have received Prigozhin's offer. However, Kyiv leadership has chosen to decline this proposal. The specific details surrounding which Russian troop positions were offered by Prigozhin remain unclear, and US officials are also questioning the intentions behind his actions.
The Washington Post initially reported these events based on information provided by two anonymous Ukrainian officials who confirmed that their intelligence officers had been approached with this proposition.
So far, there has been no official response from representatives of the Pentagon, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense or the Russian Federation regarding these allegations.
Anastasiia Lapatina, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense stated: “We can neither confirm nor deny any negotiations involving our forces and Mr. Prigozhin’s mercenaries at this time.” Similarly elusive were comments made by Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for Vladimir Putin – "We do not comment on such matters."
This surprising turn of events comes as Russia continues its ongoing conflict with Ukraine amidst mounting international pressure and scrutiny over human rights abuses taking place within both nations’ borders.
As more information becomes available about Yevgeny Prigozhin’s alleged offer to reveal invading enemy positions in exchange for mercy on his mercenary forces fighting alongside Russians against Ukrainians – questions will undoubtedly be raised concerning loyalty among private actors involved in warfare as well as potential implications related to global security dynamics moving forward.