Major General Ivan Popov
A top Russian general accused army commanders of betraying his troops on the southern front line in the first public speech by a high-ranking officer of the Moscow armed forces.
Major General Ivan Popov's unprecedented remarks came after he was fired for criticizing the Ministry of Defense.
Major General Popov commanded the 58th Combined Arms Army during the repulse of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the key Zaporozhye region, where, according to him, his exhausted troops were not allowed to rest and were not provided with proper artillery support.
“The Ukrainian army did not was able to break through our ranks at the front, but our senior commander hit us from the rear, brutally decapitating the army at the most difficult and stressful moment,” he said in an audio message published on Telegram on Wednesday.
“The top officials, apparently, sensed some kind of danger from me and quickly, in just one day, concocted an order from the Minister of Defense and got rid of me. I am waiting for my fate.”
Major General Popov is the first high-ranking commander of the Russian army to be fired for disobedience since the start of the war.
His dismissal and subsequent escapade are evidence of growing discontent in the Russian army , which steadily declined during Vladimir Putin's invasion.
Major General Popov says he was fired after the bosses «felt some kind of danger from me.» Photo: Nac.gov.ru
Last month, a mutiny of Wagner Kremlin mercenaries was directed against Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the commander-in-chief of the Russian military, General Valery Gerasimov, who led the rebels Yevgeny Prigozhin. , accused of incompetence.
Since then, the Russian Defense Ministry has struggled to impose its powers.
Reports from parts of the Russian army say that many ordinary soldiers sympathize with the Wagner rebels and Prigozhin.
Grey Zone, a Telegram channel associated with the Wagner group, first reported late on Wednesday that Major General Popov was fired after complaining about conditions on the front lines.
«Monstrous bombing»
It stated that the Wagner uprising had «united a huge part of the army» and that the soldiers were beginning to speak out.
«Popov's removal is a heinous act of terrorism against army morale,» it said.
Analysts say Putin is increasingly worried about his army's loyalty, especially since the failed Wagner mutiny, when regular military forces largely failed to defend Russian cities.
Major General Ivan Popov spoke out because he didn't want to be ' ;coward' Photo: Nac.gov.ru
After that, he promised to reinforce the National Guard with tanks and artillery. It is a unit of 340,000 men, commanded by and reporting directly to a staunch loyalist.
Major General Popov was commander of the 58th Army in the Southern Military District and was popular with his men.
“There was a difficult situation with senior management. It was necessary either to be silent and cowardly, or to speak as it is, ”he said. «I had no right to lie in the name of you, in the name of my fallen comrades in arms, so I outlined all the problems that exist.»
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