Wagner Boss Blames Russian Government for Not Defending Belgorod

Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin on Monday blamed the Kremlin for failing to defend the region of Belgorod from incursions by Russian fighters serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Prigozhin was referring to the Freedom of Russia Legion—formed weeks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022—and the Russian Volunteer Corps, who crossed into Russia's Belgorod region, located near to the Ukrainian border, and claimed to have seized the village of Kozinka and small town of Graivoron.

"There is a lack of management and public funding has been slashed," Prigozhin, whose mercenaries have been heavily involved in the ongoing war in Ukraine, said in an audio message on the Telegram channel belonging to his company Concord. Some government officials are "playing the fool," he said.

"There is no governance, no desire, and no individuals who are ready to defend their country. I spoke about this many times in both the Belgorod and Kursk regions," said Prigozhin.

Ilya Ponomarev, an exiled Russian politician who says he is the political representative for the Legion, told Newsweek on Monday that the fighters aim "to liberate Russia from Putinism."

Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Putin was aware of an attempt by a "Ukrainian sabotage group" to attack the Belgorod region, and said work was underway to "squeeze them out" of Russian territory and "destroy them."

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine confirmed the two groups had entered the Belgorod region. It said they were carrying out an operation to create "a security zone to protect civilian Ukrainians."

In an update Tuesday, Belgorod Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on his Telegram channel that Russia's Defense Ministry and security forces "continue their mopping up operation."

"To residents...who left their homes temporarily I say don't return yet," said Gladkov, adding that two civilians had been wounded and hospitalized.

In an earlier audio message, Prigozhin said Russian President Vladimir Putin's so-called "special military operation" had shifted to a "war phase."

"This is not the first time that explosions have been heard in the Belgorod, Kursk, and Bryansk regions and people are dying. I can assure you, there are soldiers on the borders," he said. "All the border guards do is just check documents."

Prigozhin questioned the whereabouts of Russia's military when the Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps entered Belgorod.

"This is a big question that needs to be put to the leadership of a military department. As far as I know, the military department is not itching to strengthen our borders," he said.

"It is obliged to do this, it is its direct responsibility...they are obliged to defend their country," Prigozhin added. "And what they are telling us now, how they have come to the rescue, is nothing more than another PR stunt from inept PR people."

The Institute for the Study of War assessed on Monday that Prigozhin "took advantage of the incident" to "accuse the Russian government and its bureaucratic inertia of contributing to the attack."

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