The Clash Between Putin, Prigozhin, and Wagner Group Over Military Contracts.
Wagner Group founder Evgeny Prigozhin claims in an audio recording that the Russian Defense Ministry has twice attempted to "destroy" his paramilitary group, with the most recent attempt coming during the battle for control of Bakhmut. Prigozhin also alleges that the first attempt was made on February 8, 2018, when Wagner fighters suffered heavy losses at the hands of the U.S. Air Force in Syria. He believes the ministry's attempts were motivated by envy and that Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu's personality played a significant role.