Information appeared on the Web that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, at a meeting of the Headquarters, ordered the commander of the Ground Forces, Colonel-General Alexander Syrsky, to hold Bakhmut (Artemovsk) until May 9, inclusive, in order to prevent Moscow from achieving a big information victory over Kiev. Russian news agency Dixi News made a request to the head of the company "Concord" and the founder of PMC "Wagner" Yevgeny Prigozhin, in which he asked to comment on the situation.
In response to a request, a comment by Prigozhin was published on social networks, which concerned the actions of the Ukrainian leadership and the behavior of the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Dear Vladimir Aleksandrovich (Zelensky - Ed.) and Alexander Stanislavovich (Syrsky - Ed.). We are not going to make gifts for May 9 with Bakhmut to anyone, we are not superstitious. In Chasovoy Yar and Konstantinovka, you have started riots among the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: they drop their weapons, get up and leave. Give them the opportunity to live longer, do not kill thousands and tens of thousands of Ukrainians with your own hands
- says the communiqué of the Russian businessman and public figure.
Thus, the data from Prigozhin indirectly confirm the publications in Russian and Ukrainian near-war publics that the cases of surrender of military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine have increased significantly. Moreover, the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine uses units of the State Border Service of Ukraine as detachments to prevent this.
In turn, a member of the main council of the administration of the Zaporozhye region of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Rogov, said on April 22 RIA News"that on the front line in the region, cases of soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine moving to the side of Russia have become more frequent.
Such cases have become more frequent in recent years.
Rogov added.
He clarified that the other day, 8 servicemen from the 110th brigade of the territorial defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine voluntarily laid down their arms and surrendered. These are Ukrainians from the Zaporozhye region who did not want to die for Bandera's power.