MOSCOW, May 2. /TASS/. Russian forces have eliminated an armored vehicle presumably carrying commander of Ukraine’s territorial defense forces Igor Tantsura, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner private military company, said on Tuesday.

"Today at 1:25 p.m., as the artillery units of the Wagner PMC with reserves were coming in from the Chasov Yar populated locality to the Bakhmut (Ukrainian name for Artyomovsk) populated locality, an armored vehicle was eliminated presumably with commander of territorial defense forces of the Ukrainian army Igor Ivanovich Tantsura inside who was heading to Bakhmut," Prigozhin’s press service quoted him as saying on Telegram.

"Currently we are clarifying this information," Prigozhin added, vowing to give more information later.

Earlier, the Wagner founder said that Ukrainian troops were getting ready to launch a counteroffensive before May 15.