Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday dismissed a report in The Washington Post that the founder of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, offered to reveal information about Russian military positions to Ukraine, calling the report, which was based on classified U.S. intelligence files, "yet another hoax."

"I can't comment, but it looks like yet another hoax," Peskov replied in response to a question during his daily call with journalists. "Unfortunately, even this respected publication has allowed itself to publish such hoaxes in recent years."

Peskov did not offer any basis for his assessment. In recent weeks, Prigozhin has angrily criticized leaders of Russia's regular military, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, saying they had failed to provide adequate ammunition to Wagner forces seeking to seize the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

According to the U.S. intelligence documents, which were leaked on the group-chat platform Discord, Prigozhin told Ukraine's military intelligence in late January that he would disclose information on Russian troop positions if Kyiv agreed to withdraw its own troops from Bakhmut.

Wagner for months has led Russia's onslaught in Bakhmut but has so far failed to capture the city.

According to Ukrainian and U.S. officials, Prigozhin reportedly conveyed the proposal to contacts in Ukraine's military intelligence directorate, known as HUR, with whom he has maintained secret communications throughout the war.

Prigozhin lashed out at The Post over the report on Monday, but he did not address the specific allegations against him. Instead, in a sarcastic and obscenity-filled audio message posted to the Telegram messaging app, Prigozhin compared The Post to a prostitute and accused the newspaper of spreading disinformation.

"Of course they will try to pour s--- over me as long as they have the energy for it," Prigozhin said, referring to the newspaper. "It turns out I am fighting for Russia but Zelensky is also doing my bidding as well. So the left hand is fighting the right hand."

Prigozhin accused The Post of repeatedly trying to smear him.

He denied meeting Ukrainian intelligence officials in Africa, as one intelligence document indicated, but did not explicitly respond to the claim that he had offered to provide information in exchange for Ukraine's withdrawal from Bakhmut.

Prigozhin also speculated that the leak was planted by members of the Russian elite seeking to sabotage him and Wagner.

Prigozhin's frustrations over the course of the war and the battle for Bakhmut have been on public display.

He has published furious public statements openly criticizing Shoigu, Gerasimov and other officials and accusing them of failing to equip and resupply Wagner with sufficient ammunition, which he said led to high and unnecessary casualties.

In a separate statement, Prigozhin told the Daily Storm, a Russian outlet, that he was "absolutely sure" that the information in The Post report had been planted by "Russian-speaking citizens."

"I think … they've been stealing for years the funds that were meant to be spent on defense and the greatness of the country and now they have to face it and be accountable for it in front of the people," he said. "So that's why they are trying to smear s--- all over the place thinking that this will help them."

Two Ukrainian officials confirmed to The Post that Prigozhin had spoken several times with the HUR. One official said that Prigozhin extended the offer regarding Bakhmut more than once, but that Kyiv had rejected it because officials did not trust Prigozhin and considered his proposals disingenuous.

A U.S. official also cautioned that there were similar doubts in Washington about Prigozhin's intentions. The Ukrainian and U.S. officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.

Prigozhin earned a fortune, and the nickname "Putin's chef," off government catering contracts. Wagner mercenaries have been active in Syria and numerous African countries where they have been accused of destabilizing governments.

The Washington Post's Robyn Dixon and Natalia Abbakumova in Riga, Latvia, contributed to this report.

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