A notoriously ruthless Russian common dubbed “the Butcher of Mariupol” has reportedly joined the Wagner mercenary group as a deputy commander, simply days after being axed from a high-powered army publish, in keeping with a blogger.
Russian pro-war correspondent Alexander Simonov shared videos on his Telegram channel that purport to point out Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev — who till not too long ago served as deputy protection minister for logistics – visiting a coaching camp and touring Russian positions within the metropolis of Bakhmut in japanese Ukraine.
Within the movies, the 60-year-old commander, whose brutal techniques in Ukraine have earned him the moniker “the Butcher of Mariupol,” is seen carrying fatigues bearing Wagner Group insignia.
One of many movies exhibits Mizintsev deep in dialog with a uniformed man believed to be a Wagner fighter discussing fight techniques and evaluation of errors after battles.
Information of Mizintsev’s new gig with the Wagner Group coincides with the discharge of two video statements by the paramilitary group’s founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who vowed to withdraw his fighters from Bakhmut on Could 10 after greater than eight months of bloody combating.
Prigozhin directed a foul-mouthed rant at Russia’s army brass, accusing high-ranking officers of denying his forces ample ammunition all through the battle due to “petty jealousy” of their success on the battlefield.
In one of many movies, a visibly shaken Progozhin confirmed a pile of bloodied corpses he mentioned belonged to his slain fighters and blamed their deaths on lack of ammunition.
Whereas Prigozhin has often lashed out at Protection Minister Sergei Shoigu for incompetence, he has singled out particular person commanders for reward.
On April 29, the day after Mizintsev’s firing from the Protection Ministry, Prigozhin’s press service mentioned he had provided to rent the veteran common.
Mizintsev, who has greater than 4 many years of army expertise, was handed a pink slip simply eight months after being tapped by the Kremlin to exchange Gen. Dmitry Bulgakov, who has been blamed for bungling the preliminary invasion of Ukraine.
Mizintsev was mentioned to be instantly accountable for overseeing among the most heinous atrocities in the course of the first months of the conflict in Ukraine, together with an airstrike in Mariupol that leveled a maternity hospital, killing a pregnant lady and her unborn child.
The final additionally reportedly ordered the bombing of a Mariupol theater the place a whole lot of civilians, together with many kids, have been sheltering in the course of the brutal, months-long siege of town, leaving not less than 300 useless.
In March, Mizintsev was sanctioned by the British authorities for his “reprehensible” actions in Mariupol.
Beforehand, Mizintsev was allegedly accountable for the siege of Aleppo in Syria, the place he ordered cluster-bomb strikes on residential areas.
