Wagner Boss Says Kremlin Cut Him Off After He Revealed Ammo Shortage

The head of Russia's infamous Wagner Group mercenary organization claims that the Kremlin has cut off contact with him.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, known for years to be a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said in a Thursday message on his Telegram channel that all of his direct lines to the Kremlin have stopped responding. This was after he complained on Sunday that the Russian government isn't giving his fighters in Ukraine enough ammunition.

"To get me to stop asking for ammunition, all the hotlines to office, to departments, etc., have been cut off from me," Prigozhin said, per a translation from CNN.

"But the real humdinger is that they've also blocked agencies from making decisions," Prigozhin added, per CNN.

Prigozhin has over the last week pleaded for the Kremlin to give his troops more ammunition, complaining about a "shell hunger."

"I'm knocking on all doors and sounding the alarm about ammunition and reinforcements, as well as the need to cover our flanks," he said in a statement on Monday, per Reuters.

"If everyone is coordinated, without ambition, screw-ups and tantrums, and carries out this work, then we will block the armed forces of Ukraine. If not, then everyone will be screwed," he added, according to Reuters.

The Russian press service Concord on Sunday also published a letter from Prigozhin, where he claimed that the ammunition promised to his troops never arrived. He blamed this logistical failure, without naming anyone, on "bureaucracy or betrayal."

Prigozhin's Wagner Group known for sending Russian convicts to the frontlines in exchange for a chance to be exonerated, and has been heavily involved in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The paramilitary organization has been engaged in a drawn-out assault to take the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. This has been one of the deadliest battles in the Ukraine war.

The press office for Russia's Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.