Prigozhin Pulling Out Battered Wagner Troops From Bakhmut

The head of the mercenary group that is leading Russia's struggling offensive in eastern Ukraine said Friday that his forces will withdraw from the high-profile battle for Bakhmut next week due to a lack of military support, Patrick Smith reported for NBC News.

Photo Insert: Yevgeny Prigozhin's sudden announcement marked the latest dramatic escalation in his feud with Moscow's military leadership.

Yevgeny Prigozhin's sudden announcement marked the latest dramatic escalation in his feud with Moscow's military leadership.

It followed a furious tirade in a graphic video Prigozhin posted to Telegram Thursday night, in which he appeared to be surrounded by hundreds of dead bodies as he blamed defense chiefs for the heavy losses suffered by his Wagner Group fighters.

Hours after his expletive-laden rant, Prigozhin said he would hand over control of the grueling Bakhmut offensive to Russian army forces on May 10 due to a shortage of ammunition supplies.

“I’m pulling Wagner units out of Bakhmut because, in the absence of ammunition, they’re doomed to perish senselessly," he said, adding that his forces would "lick our wounds."

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