Of the documents leaked on the Discord chat by the Massachusetts soldier were details about a discussion between Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and Yevgeniy Prigozhin, who runs a mercenary force known as the Wagner Group. In late January, Prigozhin was losing many of his soldiers, and that's when he made the offer to Ukraine.
According to The Washington Post, Prigozhin asked if Ukraine’s commanders would pull out their troops from around the Bakhmut area. In return, "he would give Kyiv information on Russian troop positions" so they could inflict the maximum amount of damage.
"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," reported The Post. "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."
It sent the Russian Defense Ministry spinning, trying to figure out what to do about Russia's relationship with Prigozhin and how to respond to his public complaints.
"The documents also speak to a power struggle between Prigozhin and top officials, including Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu," the report said. It all connects back to Prigozhin's complaints about equipment and other resources for his soldiers.
"Two Ukrainian officials confirmed that Prigozhin has spoken several times to the Ukrainian intelligence directorate, known as HUR," the report said. Kyiv rejected it because officials didn't trust Prigozhin.
The offer came more than once, one official revealed.
Read the full report at The Washington Post.
