Russia’s capture of Bakhmut in May ended the longest battle of the war, marking a victory for Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner paramilitary group.

For Prigozhin, whose mercenaries led the assault on Bakhmut, capturing the eastern Ukrainian city appeared to be a personal obsession. One facet of the battle’s legacy will be the public feud it set off between him, the man once known as “Putin’s chef”, and the Russian defence ministry.

The discord between Prigozhin and Russian defence officials became more exposed as the first anniversary of the war approached, in February of this year.

At that time, Prigozhin’s mercenary group was losing its ability to replenish its ranks. His troops’ sheer numbers had enabled Wagner’s repeated, costly offensives in Bakhmut.

But news of Wagner’s astronomical casualty rate was spreading to Russian penal colonies, and Prigozhin said in early February that he would stop recruiting inmates, without giving a reason.

New York Times News Service