THE Yevgeny Prigozhinfounder of the private mercenary army Wagner, today released a video showing what he claims are coffins containing the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers being repatriated to areas under Kiev’s control.

In the video, Prigozhin, who appears dressed in military clothing, says: “We are sending another shipment of Ukrainian army fighters home. They fought bravely, and died. This is why the last truck will take them back to their homeland.

The footage shows men in uniform to drive nails into closed wooden coffins and load them into a truck.

Prigozhin, the company Wagner who led Russia’s months-long offensive on the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, has repeatedly praised the Ukrainian military as a worthy and capable opponent.

On New Year’s Eve, Prigozhin-linked media released footage showing Wagner’s boss visiting Ukrainian prisoners of war, offering them a traditional gift of tangerines and promising to return to Ukraine in a prisoner exchange as soon as possible.