STORY: The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group appeared on Sunday to ditch his threat to withdraw his forces from the grinding battle for Bakhmut.

He is now saying he's received promises of as much ammunition and weaponry as required in order to continue the months-long assault on the devastated city.

Yevgeny Prigozhin’s recent comment comes just days after he vowed to withdraw on May 10 due to a lack of weapons.

As well as the release of this graphic video, surrounded by dead bodies, in which he very publicly blamed and named Russian government officials for a lack of ammunition he says led to the mass slaughter of his Wagner fighters.

The battle for Bakhmut, which Russia sees as a stepping stone to other cities has been the most intense of the conflict.

It’s cost thousands of lives on both sides in months of grinding warfare.

Despite Prigozhin’s threat to withdraw, Ukraine had warned that Wagner fighters were actually reinforcing positions to try to seize it before Russia marks World War Two Victory Day next week.

Meanwhile as Ukraine continues to prepare it’s long awaited spring counter offensive, Moscow-installed officials are evacuating the area around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station.

The U.N nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, is warning the situation round the plant isnow “unpredictable” and “dangerous”.

Around 80% of the Zaporizhzhia region is held by Moscow, but the Ukrainian offensive is viewed as likely to take in the region.