Former Deputy Russian Defense Minister Joins Wagner Amid Intensifying Combat

Pro-war Russian channels on social media reported that "former Deputy Defense Minister Colonel Mikhail Mizintsev has joined the Russian private military group 'Wagner' as deputy to the president." In two video clips posted by war correspondent Alexander Simonov on Telegram, Mizintsev appeared in combat gear bearing the Wagner insignia while visiting a training camp and touring Russian positions in the town of Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine. This emergence coincided with the release of two video statements from Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, who angrily reiterated long-standing accusations that the Defense Ministry is withholding ammunition from his forces out of jealousy over their success.