could be a major setback for russian forces as they are bracing for an expected ukrainian counteroffensive. cnn s chief international security correspondent nick paton walsh is live. nick, of course, the messages from prigozhin are not new. but what is significant to you about this video that he posted overnight? reporter: the fact that they are saying they will leave in five days. they have never said that before. they have threatened that they might compromise their position for a week now, we have been seeing these messages from yevgeny prigozhin after people thought his long-term rift as the head of the wagner mercenary group with the russian defense ministry establishment, the top brass might have begun to be healing. he has been kplalg they haven t got the artillery shells. that expletive-laden video, what s done that before in front of corpses to ask for more ammunition. quite a different tone. this would be a staggering gift to the ukrainian forces if wagner was abl
quite a different tone. this would be a staggering gift to the ukrainian forces if wagner was able to pull forces back, withdrawing from a city under fire exceptionally difficult in the best of times, particularly in this case. so how and within this happens mid feks week will be complex and interesting to see play out. it is a gift to the ukrainian forces. informationally alone ahead of the counteroffensive for russia to say it s pulling about half of the forces back from this key symbolic city that has been slogged over brutally over the entire winter is extraordinary. what will that do to russian morale, the suggestion it needs to happen, this information floating out across russian front lines and they will wonder what s happening at the heart of the kremlin. i should hold out, point out here, yevgeny prigozhin has made false statements in the past and tried to play sides off each other, but this is remarkable and it s a second sign of