Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] The Chechen state television channel, without the consent of Ramzan Kadyrov, could not, before the receipt of official information, publish a message that General Alexander Lapin was removed from his post, this indicates the involvement of the head of Chechnya in the replacement of Lapin by Andrey Mordvichev, political scientists interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" considered.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 29 the Grozny state television channel reported that Colonel-General Alexander Lapin, whom Ramzan Kadyrov harshly criticized twice for miscalculations during the military operation in Ukraine, had been removed from his post as commander of the Central Military District. Other sources also reported this, with a source in the Defense Ministry saying that Lapin had gone on a three-week vacation. There has been no official confirmation of this information from the Russian Ministry of Defense.
On October 30, a source in the Ministry of Defense reported that General Andrei Mordvichev replaced General Alexander Lapin during his absence as commander of the Center group in Ukraine. Ramzan Kadyrov, who harshly criticized Lapin, spoke flatteringly about Mordvichev.
The information of the ChGTRK "Grozny" about the resignation of General Lapin is credible, said Alexei Malashenko, an employee of the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, author of the book "Ramzan Kadyrov: Russian politician of Caucasian nationality."
"This is a message that deserves trust. It is obvious that the TV channel gave such information based on information from Ramzan Kadyrov. Without his knowledge and approval, such information could not be published. Moreover, the Ministry of Defense did not officially comment on this news," he said.
In his opinion, the fact that ChGTRK published this information without reference to official sources and recalled Kadyrov's criticism of Lapin speaks of the involvement of the head of Chechnya in this resignation.
"He wouldn’t just scold General Kadyrov. He had information that Lapin was dissatisfied, and he began to criticize him, knowing that he would be replaced. His criticism influenced the fate of General Lapin. And this, yes, is a kind of success for Kadyrov. involved in this resignation," Malashenko said.
Political scientist Dmitry Oreshkin also believes that ChGTRK information is trustworthy. "I think that the information of the Chechen state television channel is correct. But this is not about dismissal, but about removal from the leadership of the operation. He remained a general in the army and will most likely receive a different position. But since this is reported by the Chechen TV channel, which cannot cover this topic, if not permission from Kadyrov, who harshly criticized Lapin, then the information most likely corresponds to reality," the political scientist told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
Lapin's removal is Kadyrov's success, he is sure. "Of course, this is a hardware success of the head of Chechnya and the group of influence that was behind his (Lapin's) dismissal. It's just that Kadyrov was the frontman of this group, he allowed himself the harshest statements about Lapin and, of course, it was the Chechen TV channel that was the first within this administrative vendetta reported this news, hastening to fix the victory of the head of Chechnya," he said.
On October 27, Ramzan Kadyrov again criticized Alexander Lapin, noting that he agreed with the proposals of businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin on the need for tactical and personnel changes in the leadership of the army. Prigozhin, in turn, criticized military personnel who have no real combat experience.
Earlier, on October 1, Kadyrov criticized the Ministry of Defense for the decision to withdraw troops from Krasny Liman because of the threat of their encirclement, and he personally criticized General Lapin. Yevgeny Prigozhin on the same day supported Kadyrov in this.
Oreshkin drew attention to the fact that "it is not the business of the regional leader to comment on questions about who is in command of the operation." “This is the business of the Ministry of Defense and [Defense Minister Sergei] Shoigu. In this sense, we can say that Shoigu is becoming an increasingly decorative figure, while Kadyrov, Prigozhin and other representatives of the “party of war” are gaining momentum. And Putin has to take into account their opinion on a broader a number of issues," the political scientist said.
Military expert Vasily Dandykin believes that we should wait for official reports from the Ministry of Defense. "Officially, he (Lapin) is on a three-week vacation. This situation is reminiscent of another situation, when the media wrote for two months in a row that the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Osipov, was removed from his post, but in fact, only a couple of days ago he handed over the standard to Sokolov. Therefore, I advise you to wait official information, and not be based on the opinions of Kadyrov and Prigozhin. Opinions are one thing, but the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief is another," he told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
Recall that after Kadyrov's first critical speech against General Lapin, military experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" pointed out that criticism of the Defense Ministry for miscalculations in Ukraine came out with the approval of the Kremlin. At the same time, among the senior officers, Kadyrov's words caused a negative reaction, analysts are sure.
Public criticism from Ramzan Kadyrov and Yevgeny Prigozhin against the military command is due to the desire of each of them to earn political dividends for themselves, political analyst Alexei Malashenko suggested, commenting on repeated statements by Kadyrov and Prigozhin. Simultaneous attacks on the military leadership are similar to the formation of an influential political group with the participation of Kadyrov and Prigozhin, political consultant Yevgeny Minchenko believes.
After the start of the military operation in Ukraine, Kadyrov repeatedly criticized army commanders. So, on September 22, he expressed strong dissatisfaction with the exchange of prisoners of war, which was organized by the Ministry of Defense and the FSB. Kadyrov also criticized other actions of the Russian military leadership, you can read about this in the "Caucasian Knot" report " How Kadyrov Quarreled and Reconciled with the Ministry of Defense."
|
