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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia | |
| Another Russian General Relieved of Command | |
| 2023-07-16 | |
| [UnderstandingWar] Russian sources reported on July 15 that the Russian military command dismissed 106th Guards Airborne (VDV) Division Commander Major General Vladimir Seliverstov.[1] Russian sources stated that the reason for Seliverstov’s dismissal is currently unknown but speculated that it could be associated with Seliverstov's reputation for speaking up on behalf of his soldiers.[2] Russian sources claimed that the 106th VDV Division has been operating in the Bakhmut area since January... The Russian military command recently dismissed 58th Combined Arms Army (Southern Military District) Commander Major General Ivan Popov after he reportedly attempted to bypass Chief of the Russian General Staff and overall theater commander Army General Valery Gerasimov and bring his complaints about the situation in western Zaporizhia Oblast directly to Putin.
Paratrooper commander Major-General Vladimir Seliverstov, 49, is the eighth member of the country's top brass to be fired, suspended, detained or vanished in recent months. Defence minister Sergei Shoigu is alleged to be conducting 'combat operations' against his own staff as key war generals are axed or sidelined. Seliverstov is one of Russia's youngest and most ruthless generals who headed the 106th Airborne Division operating in the meat-grinder around Bakhmut where Ukraine is now advancing. Even the support of Putin's former bodyguard Alexei Dyumin, governor of the Tula region and possible anointed son as Kremlin successor, failed to save the general, according to reports. His demise follows that of notorious Gen Sergei 'Armageddon' Surovikin, 56, who has been incommunicado for 20 days since the revolt led by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. He is believed to be under interrogation, likely held in jail for siding with Prigozhin and awaiting Putin's decision on his fate. Yet the witch-hunt goes wider. Major-General Ivan Popov - who led Russia's 58th army - vanished last week soon after he was fired. A leaked voice message to troops revealed he blamed Putin's high command for 'treacherously and vilely decapitating the army at the most difficult and tense moment'. His wife said Popov, 48, had been 'summoned' to an unknown place and 'abruptly disappeared' after his blistering critique of Putin's war strategy was leaked, according to Telegram channel VChK-OGPU. Another victim was Major-General Nikolay Gostev - commander of Russia's 4th Air Force Army - who was removed from his post at least temporarily amid Ukraine's counteroffensive. He is reported to be 'resting' - a euphemism also used about Surovikin, the second most senior military commander in Russia. The timing has raised eyebrows since Gostev, 60, is in charge of protecting the Black Sea coast, including annexed Crimea and Zaporizhzhia from Ukrainian missile attacks. This week a British-supplied Storm Shadow missile killed a general known personally to Putin - Lieutenant-General Oleg Tsokov, 51, in Berdiansk, an area now under intense long range bombardment. Air force commander Col-Gen Andrey Yudin, 61, is reported to be suspended after being interrogated following the 24 June Wagner armed mutiny. The same applies to Lt-Gen Vladimir Alexseev, 62,deputy head of military intelligence. Both Yudin and Alexseev were suspended from duty and their movements restricted. Earlier, Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, who is also known as the Butcher of Mariupol, was ousted in May and joined Wagner. He was the first to pay with his job. His current whereabouts are unknown. Shoigu is also gunning for reservist Lt-Gen Andrey Gurulev - a prominent pro-war propagandist pundit - who was blamed for leaking Popov's message, and thereby humiliating Shoigu and chief of the armed forces General Valery Gerasimov. No action so far has been taken against him, but it may be only a matter of time. 'Shoigu continues to conduct 'combat operations' inside the Ministry of Defence,' reported channel VChK-OGPU. The eighth missing general is his close colleague and deputy - Colonel-General Yunus-bek Yevkurov, 59. He was seen talking to Prigozhin on the day of the armed mutiny in Rostov-on-Don. The deputy defence minister has not been seen since early July. | |
| Posted by:lord garth |
| #2 Dozens of Senior Russian Officers Detained, Fired After Wagner Mutiny – WSJ Russian security services have detained at least 13 senior military officers and suspended or fired 15 others in the wake of the Wagner mercenary group’s mutiny last month, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter. “The detentions are about cleaning the ranks of those who are believed can’t be trusted anymore,” WSJ quoted one source as saying. A number of the detained officers had ties with Wagner, the publication wrote. |
| Posted by: Enver Slager8035 2023-07-16 17:15 |
| #1 General Surovikin emerges from Putin doghouse next week. |
| Posted by: badanov 2023-07-16 09:04 |