Putin Fires Five Generals Even After Another One Is Killed

There is a question as to whether Putin is running out of generals to blame for his strategic miscalculations in Ukraine. JL 

Cheryl Teh reports in Business Insider:

Russian President Vladimir Putin fired five generals from the military's top brass this week amid Moscow's stumbling invasion of Ukraine. The Russian newspaper Pravda cited an extract of a decree that a source confirmed to be authentic. The decree listed five major generals — Vasily Kukushkin, Alexander Laas, Andrey Lipilin, Alexander Udovenko, and Yuri Instrankin — as well as police colonel Emil Musin. Another Russian General, Roman Berdnikov, was also killed in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin fired five generals from the military's top brass this week amid Moscow's stumbling invasion of Ukraine.

Putin's dismissal of the generals was reported by the Russian newspaper Pravda, which cited an extract of the decree that a source confirmed to be authentic.

Per the outlet, the decree listed five major generals — Vasily Kukushkin, Alexander Laas, Andrey Lipilin, Alexander Udovenko, and Yuri Instrankin — as well as police colonel Emil Musin.

All five major generals held leading positions in the military for their various regions.

According to the report, Putin dismissed the following officers:

• Major General Vasily Kukushkin, Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Department for the Vladimir Region;
• Major General Alexander Laas, Deputy Head of the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Altai Territory;
• Major General Andrey Lipilin, Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Department for the Yaroslavl Region;
• Major General Alexander Udovenko, Head of the Operations Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
• Major General Yuri Instrankin, Deputy Head of the Department for Logistics and Medical Support of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
• Police Colonel Emil Musin, First Deputy Head of the Forensic Expert Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

Additionally, Putin had also dismissed another general before this report named Lieutenant-General Valery Balan. He was the Deputy Director of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN). These reports were confirmed by the newspaper to be authentic as they had connections within the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Their firing comes weeks after two generals were fired for performing poorly in Ukraine.

According to UK intelligence, Lieutenant General Serhiy Kisel, who commanded the elite 1st Guards Tank Army, was suspended for failing to capture Kharkiv. Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Igor Osipov, who commanded Russia's Black Sea Fleet, was fired after the Moskva battleship was sunk in April. 

Meanwhile, Russia's top commander for the Ukraine war, Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, has not been seen for weeks, leading some US officials to speculate that he might have been removed from his post.

At least 25 Russian generals and commanders have been killed in action amid the Ukraine war.

Apart from the reshuffling and culling in the ranks of Russia's military elite, trouble has also been brewing among rank-and-file officers involved in the conflict. More than 100 members of Putin's "private army' were fired for refusing to fight in Ukraine, and hundreds of Russian soldiers have deserted the military.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has gone unexpectedly poorly, particularly after it suffered "devastating losses" of its junior officers. Western officials estimate that some 15,000 Russians have been killed in the invasion. Ukraine, meanwhile, claimed it has killed 30,000 Russian troops.

Friday marked the 100th day of the Ukraine war, which began when Putin launched an unprovoked invasion of the country on February 24.