There are indications of a wave of purges within the Russian military. Accordingly, the Putin regime is cold several successful generals. The consequences could be dramatic.
It had been announced for a while, now there are further indications: The Russian ruler Vladimir Putin seems to be taking more and more rigorous action against his own military leadership. As the US think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports, the Russian army has relieved some of its top generals of command. And precisely those who have a lot of combat experience and successfully led their units in the Ukraine war.
In addition to the commander of the 58th Army, Major General Ivan Popov, and the commander of the 106th Guards Airborne Division, Major General Vladimir Seliverstov, according to information from the ISW, the commander of the 7th Guards Airborne Division, Major General Alexander Kornew, is to be relieved of his duties at the beginning of July have been. Russian military bloggers had speculated about this a few days ago, and now the generally well-informed ISW confirms this development.
But that’s not all. According to the ISW, other high-ranking military officers are also on the verge of extinction. The authorities are said to have arrested the commander of the 90th Armored Division, Major General Ramil Ibatullin. A fate that could soon threaten the commander of the 31st Guards Air Assault Brigade, Colonel Sergei Karasev, and the commander of the airborne troops, Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky.
A strike against some of Russia’s most powerful units
Speculations had recently circulated around Teplinsky that he could take the place of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Shoigu remained in office, but that doesn’t mean that there couldn’t have been an attempt within the military to overthrow him and replace him with Teplinsky. Defense Minister Shoigu is considered a close confidante and long-time companion of Vladimir Putin.
Since the beginning of the war of aggression, which violated international law, the trained civil engineer has repeatedly drawn criticism from ultra-nationalist war bloggers, who accused him of incompetence. Shoigu has not had a career in the army, so critics accuse him of a lack of experience in strategic military issues.
The ISW emphasizes that its information has not yet been confirmed. However, the findings followed a certain pattern of decisions within the Russian military, which in the past had mostly proven to be correct. In view of the extent of the recalls, one can speak of a veritable wave of purges, it is said.
What impact the alleged dismissals and arrests will have on the morale of Russian troops in Ukraine can only be speculated. Probably not good ones, according to military experts. Some of those who were shot are said to have successfully resisted the Ukrainian counter-offensive with their units. Their soldiers have proven themselves particularly in the heavily contested regions of Zaporizhia and Bakhmut.
Complained to Putin past Gerasimov
The military experts cited attempts by the ousted generals to circumvent the chain of command as the reason for the actions of the Russian high command. For example, Popov, Seliverstov, Kornev and others appear to have approached Russian ruler Putin directly, rather than Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, to convey their concerns about military action in Ukraine. It would be a serious violation of military practice.
An audio recording that Russian military bloggers shared on social networks also speaks for the fact that there is rumbling in the Russian army. It features members of the 7th Guards Air Assault Division, an elite unit of the Russian Army stationed in the Kherson region. They threatened to disobey orders and withdraw from their posts if the army leadership arrested or even killed General Tiplinski. The authenticity of the recording has not yet been confirmed.
Since the Wagner coup on June 23-24, there has been constant speculation as to whether Yevgeny Prigozhin has allies within the military, and if so, who they are. While Prigozhin and his mercenary army went unmolested, in the days that followed, high-ranking military officials were relieved of their duties or disappeared from public view, like General Sergei Surovikin. He is said to have been informed about Prigozhin’s coup plans and has not been seen for weeks.
