The founder of the Russian paramilitary formation "Wagner", Eugene Prigogine, released a video showing him flying a combat mission in Ukraine and challenging the Ukrainian president from the cockpit of a military plane Volodymyr Zelenski of an "aerial duel".

The video was released by Prigozhin's press service, with a statement that the video was recorded in the cockpit of the Su-24 bomber, which is used by the Wagner group, reports Reuters.

– Volodymyr Oleksandrovich (Zelensky), we have landed. We bombed Bakhmut. Tomorrow I will fly the MiG-29. If you want, let's meet in heaven. If you win, capture Artyomovsk (Bakhmut). If not, we advance to the Dnieper - Prigozhin addresses Zelensky in the video.

Prigozhin, who is a close associate of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, last year in September publicly admitted for the first time that he is the founder of the "Wagner" group.

Last month, the US classified the group as an international criminal organization, and it is reported that around 50.000 members of the group are currently on the battlefield in Ukraine.