The Washington Post has reported that, according to US officials, the head of a Russian private military company told President Vladimir Putin his military chiefs are mismanaging the war in Ukraine.

The US newspaper published the report about the remarks by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner Group, on Tuesday.

The paper reported that Prigozhin said Russia's defense ministry relies too much on Wagner, and is not giving the mercenary group sufficient financial and material support to carry out its war mission.

It also stated the incident shows how Prigozhin's influence is rising and highlights the shaky standing of the Russian defense establishment's leadership.

The Washington Post also reported that Prigozhin reached out to the paper through his press service and denied he had personally contacted Putin recently. He also said he had no right to criticize or praise Russia's army since he was not a military expert.

Earlier this month, a close aide to Putin criticized the military after the defense ministry decided to withdraw troops from a strategically important location in Ukraine.

A senior pro-Russian official in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson also posted a video critical of defense minister Sergei Shoigu.