A Russian general says he has been dismissed as commander. Ivan Popov said he criticized the military strategy and mentioned that Russian soldiers were dying because of a lack of artillery defence.
Russia’s military leadership has reportedly fired the commander-in-chief of the Russian 58th Army stationed in southern Ukraine, Ivan Popov.
In a voice message published by Russian MP Andrei Gurulev on his Telegram channel, Popov said he had informed the military leadership about the situation at the front, where he believes the failure of the top commanders would stab Russian soldiers in the back. Gurulev is a former army commander who appears regularly on state television.
“Greatest Tragedy of Modern War”
According to Popov, he mentioned the death of Russian soldiers by Ukrainian artillery because the army lacked suitable defense and reconnaissance systems.
“I drew attention to the greatest tragedy of modern warfare – the lack of artillery reconnaissance and countermeasures and the multiple deaths and injuries from enemy artillery,” Popov said. He had the choice to remain silent or to address things.
Shaded: territories occupied by Russia
However, his superiors apparently saw him as a threat and carried out an order from the Ministry of Defense in just one day to get rid of him. Other Telegram channels had previously reported that Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov had described Popov as a “panic” and replaced him. The Russian Defense Ministry initially did not comment on the case.
Popov’s army fought in southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region. According to military experts, large sections of the Russian armed forces are dissatisfied with their own military leadership and their glossed-over situation reports.