A prominent Russian oligarch has urged Putin to put an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the infamous mercenary outfit Wagner, sent a statement on Telegram last night, warning Russian President Vladimir Putin that people may seek a'scapegoat' for military mistakes.
It's the first time one of Putin's goons has publicly criticized Russia's advancement in the battle, which has resulted in hundreds of deaths and millions of displaced people after more than a year.
Prigozhin's statements also come amid mounting evidence elites and the wider public in Russia may be losing their appetite for war.
He said: 'For the authorities [of the Russian Federation […] and for society as a whole, it is necessary to put some kind of bold full stop in the 'special military operation'.
The ideal option is to announce the end of the special military operation, to inform everyone that Russia has achieved the results that it planned, and in a sense, we have really achieved them.
'We have ground a huge number of soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and can report to ourselves that our task has been completed.
Caption: Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin (Picture: Reuters)
'Theoretically, Russia has already received this full stop by destroying a large part of the active male population of Ukraine, by intimidating another part of it that has fled to Europe.'
He added: 'Now there is only one thing left: to firmly gain a foothold, to claw in those territories that already exist.'
Prigozhin, who is referred to as "Putin's chef" due to the number of restaurants he owns, has recently suggested he would succeed the current Russian leader.
There are rumors that Prigozhin intends to assume control of the Just Russia political party, which fuels the idea that he would challenge Putin in the 2024 election.
His comments on the conflict came shortly after a recent leak of confidential Pentagon papers that said two senior Russian officials had planned to'sabotage' the president while he is receiving chemotherapy.
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