Some countries see "Western double standards" regarding war in Ukraine, German chancellor says

The head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has denied a report that he offered to share intelligence on Russian troop positions with Kyiv in exchange for the Ukrainians ceding territory around the embattled city of Bakhmut.

In an audio message posted to his Telegram channel on Monday, Prigozhin speculated the story could have been planted by his enemies.

The article, in the Washington Post, was based on leaked US intelligence documents among the cache that recently appeared on the Discord gaming server. The Post reported Sunday that Prigozhin offered to give Ukraine’s military information on Russian troop positions if Kyiv would pull their own forces back from the area around Bakhmut. Prigozhin made the proposal to Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, known as HUR, in January, the Post alleged. It quoted one leaked document as stating that Prigozhin met HUR officers in an unspecified country in Africa.

“I can say with confidence, if we’re being serious, that I have not been in Africa at least since the beginning of the conflict, but in fact a few months before the start of the SMO [Special Military Operation],” Prigozhin said. “Therefore, I simply could not meet with anyone there physically.”

In his message, Prigozhin asked rhetorically, “Who is behind this? I think that either some journalists decided to hype, or comrades from Rublyovka have now decided to make up a beautiful, planted story.” Rublyovka is the name of an affluent neighborhood in Moscow along the Rublyovo-Uspenskoye highway, which is known for its luxurious residential estates and mansions for the Russian elite.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday that he could not comment on the Washington Post report, other than to say, “It looks like another hoax.”

Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, declined to comment when he was asked about the Post report on Ukrainian television on Monday, saying: “Who would benefit from discussing such initiatives now?” 

CNN reached out to Ukraine's military intelligence directorate for comment. They said they had nothing to add to Yusov's comments.

Some background: Highly classified Pentagon documents leaked on social media in recent weeks have provided a rare window into how the US spies on allies and foes alike, deeply rattling US officials, who fear the revelations could jeopardize sensitive sources and compromise important foreign relationships. Some of the documents, which US officials say are authentic, expose the extent of US eavesdropping on key allies, including South Korea, Israel and Ukraine.

Others reveal the degree to which the US has penetrated the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Russian mercenary organization Wagner Group, largely through intercepted communications and human sources.

CNN's Natasha Bertrand and Kylie Atwood contributed to this post.