(Moscow) The boss of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, admitted on Thursday that his men continued to suffer losses in the fighting in Ukraine, on the occasion of the visit to a cemetery which “continues to grow” .

A video broadcast by his press service on Telegram shows Mr. Prigojine standing in front of dozens of graves topped with crosses and on which are laid wreaths of flowers.

“Wagner fighters continue to be buried here and there is no problem with that to this day. We will improve it and make this cemetery a memorial for future generations,” Mr. Prigojine said.

“Yes, (the cemetery) is expanding. Those who fight sometimes die. That’s how life goes, “said the boss of Wagner.

Russia communicates very little about the losses it has suffered in Ukraine since the start of the offensive it launched in February 2022.

The last official casualty report communicated by the Ministry of Defense dates from September 2022 and reports 5,937 soldiers killed. This does not include Wagner’s fighters, who are not officially part of the military.

According to Western estimates, the Russian forces – army, Wagner and pro-Russian separatists from Ukraine – could count more than 150,000 dead and wounded in their ranks.

Wagner’s fighters are notably on the front line in the battle for the city of Bakhmout in eastern Ukraine, where both sides have suffered heavy casualties.