Did Vladimir Putin and Wagner chief Prigozhin strike a deal on Bakhmut?

The Wagner group has spearheaded the Russian assault on Bakhmut.

Russian paramilitary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said that he had received "a promise" of more ammunition from the Russian army. This came after Yevgeny Prigozhin threatened to pull his Wagner troops out of Bakhmut.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, is seen, (AP)

"They promised to give us all the ammunition and armaments we need to continue the operations," Yevgeny Prigozhin said criticising Russian military chiefs over the situation in Bakhmut.

Bakhmut has been the epicentre of Ukraine's fight against Russian forces. The Wagner group has spearheaded the Russian assault on Bakhmut. The Wagner chief also said that they had been assured "that everything necessary will be provided" to fighters around Bakhmut as he threatened to "pull out Wagner units from Bakhmut because in the absence of ammunition they are facing a senseless death".

While Yevgeny Prigozhin has made similar threats to pull out from Bakhmut in the past, with a video statement on Friday that included scathing personal criticism of the leaders of Russia's Ukraine campaign.

Without more support, Yevgeny Prigozhin had said that he would pull back his fighters on May 10 "and withdraw Wagner units to rear camps to lick our wounds".

General Sergei Surovikin will from now on take “all decisions concerning Wagner's military operations in cooperation with the defence ministry," he added.