Leak reveals Russian oligarch Yevgeniy Prigozhin’s major offer to Ukraine: report

Russian President Vladimir Putin's "chef" and Wagner Group owner Yevgeniy Prigozhin proposed a major deal to Ukraine earlier this year, The Washington Post reports.

Per The Post, according to "unreported U.S. intelligence documents leaked on the group-chat platform Discord," the mercenary chief told Ukraine if its "commanders withdrew their soldiers from the area around Bakhmut, he would give Kyiv information on Russian troop positions, which Ukraine could use to attack them."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the publication earlier this month he "would not confirm the contacts with Prigozhin."

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He asserted, "This is a matter of [military] intelligence," and added refused to broadcast "classified information publicly," saying, "he believed that the leaks had benefited Russia."

The unreported documents reveal "Kyiv suspects, or may know, that the Kremlin is aware of Prigozhin's communications with Ukrainian intelligence, if not his secret negotiations over Bakhmut."

Regarding a potential reason behind the offer, The Postreports:

Prigozhin has publicly feuded with Russian military commanders, who he furiously claims have failed to equip and resupply his forces, which have provided vital support to Moscow's war effort. But he is also an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who might well regard Prigozhin's offer to trade the lives of Wagner fighters for Russian soldiers as a treasonous betrayal.

Prigozhin has previously bemoaned the Russian Defense Ministry's failure to provide "his fighters the ammunition and other resources they need to succeed."

READ MORE: Vladimir Putin's 'chef' says his mercenaries 'will take Bakhmut anyway' despite Kremlin's 'envy'

The Washington Post's full report is available at this link (subscription required).