The head of Russia's private Wagner militia, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said Ukraine was preparing for an "inevitable" counter-offensive and was sending well-prepared units to the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut, for many months the focal point of fighting.
In a combative audio message posted on his Telegram channel, Prigozhin also renewed his criticism of Russia's security establishment, saying there was a "betrayal" going on inside Russia, as he lambasted the defence ministry for not sending much-needed shipments of ammunition to his fighters.
