Vladimir Putin branded an ‘a***hole’ by once-loyal chief henchman in video rant

VLADIMIR Putin was called an “a***hole” by his once-loyal chief henchman.

Yevgeny Prigozhin — head of Russia’s Wagner mercenaries — unleashed the biggest challenge yet to the tyrant’s authority.

He had already criticised ammo shortages which helped Ukraine kill his men.

But he has followed up with a video attack on “grandfather” Putin amid a bloodbath at Bakhmut.

He raged at Kremlin military chiefs: “They’re collecting (artillery shells) in warehouses - why? No one knows.

"Instead of spending on a shell to kill the enemy and save the lives of our soldiers, they let our soldiers die — and the ‘happy grandfather’ thinks this is good for him. If he turns out to be right, then God bless everybody.

"But how will we win the war, if, by chance — and I’m just speculating — it turns out that this grandfather is a complete a***hole?”

Putin is often referred to as the “grandfather” in ­Russia — or as “Bunker grandfather” by critics.

It came a day after Putin’s humiliating annual Victory Day Parade in Moscow, which was graced by a single, rusting T-34 tank.

Ukraine gloated that the scores of tanks paraded during Putin’s celebrations last year are now blasted hulks destroyed in the war.

Wagner’s boss, whose army contains thousands of criminals sprung from jail, last week hit out at minister Sergei Shoigu and military chief Valery Gerasimov.

He warned he would withdraw his men if they were not given more shells — but later reined back.

In his latest rant, Prigozhin added: “The shells give freedom. And if they don’t give freedom with the shells . . . if they keep holding on to them then first we need to shove it up their a*** and throw them in jail.”

The foul-mouthed tirade is another sign of division among Russia’s leaders.

Moscow press aide Dmitry Peskov refused to discuss Prigozhin’s attack.