In this photograph launched by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Thursday, June 8, 2023, Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, the commander of the 58th Army, is seen in a photograph at an undisclosed location. Popov mentioned in a press release to his troops that he was dismissed after talking out concerning the issues confronted by his troops on the battlefield in Ukraine.

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In this photograph launched by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Thursday, June 8, 2023, Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, the commander of the 58th Army, is seen in a photograph at an undisclosed location. Popov mentioned in a press release to his troops that he was dismissed after talking out concerning the issues confronted by his troops on the battlefield in Ukraine.

AP

MOSCOW — A Russian normal in control of forces combating in southern Ukraine has been relieved of his duties after talking out about issues confronted by his troops, a transfer that mirrored new fissures within the army command following a short insurrection by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, the commander of the 58th military within the Zaporizhzhia area, which is a focus in Ukraine’s counteroffensive, mentioned in an audio assertion to his troops launched Wednesday evening that he was dismissed after a gathering with the army brass in what he described as a “treacherous” stab within the again to Russian forces in Ukraine.

Popov mentioned the army management was angered by his frank speak about challenges confronted by his forces, notably the scarcity of radars monitoring enemy artillery, which resulted in huge Russian casualties.

“The top officers apparently saw me as a source of threat and rapidly issued an order to get rid of me, which was signed by the defense minister in just one day,” he mentioned. “The Ukrainian military has failed to break through our army’s defenses, but the top commander hit us in the rear, treacherously and cowardly beheading the army at this most difficult moment.”

Popov, who makes use of the decision title “Spartacus,” addressed his troops as “my gladiators” within the audio message launched by retired Gen. Andrei Gurulev, who commanded the 58th military prior to now and at the moment serves as a lawmaker. The 58th military consists of a number of divisions and smaller items.

The 48-year-old Popov, who has risen from platoon commander to guide a big group of forces, has inspired his troopers to come back on to him with any issues — an easygoing strategy that contrasted sharply with the stiff formal model of command widespread within the Russian army. Russian army bloggers say he is extensively recognized for avoiding pointless losses — in contrast to many different commanders who had been desirous to sacrifice their troopers to report successes.

“I faced a difficult situation with the top leadership when I had to either keep silent and act like a coward, saying what they wanted to hear, or call things by their names,” Popov mentioned. “I didn’t have the right to lie for the sake of you and our fallen comrades.”

Many army bloggers argued that Popov’s dismissal eroded troop morale at a time of relentless Ukrainian assaults. One blogger, Vladislav Shurygin, mentioned it has dealt a “terrible blow to the entire army,” whereas one other, Roman Saponkov, described it as a “monstrous terror attack against the army’s morale.”

In an indication that many in Russian officialdom share Popov’s criticism of the army management, Andrei Turchak, the primary deputy speaker of the higher home of parliament and head of the primary Kremlin celebration United Russia, strongly backed the overall, saying that “the Motherland can be proud of such commanders.”

Andrei Kartapolov, a retired normal who heads the protection affairs committee within the decrease home, additionally mentioned the Defense Ministry ought to take care of the problems raised by Popov.

News of Popov’s dismissal added to the blow that Russian troops acquired when one other senior officer, Lt. Gen. Oleg Tsokov, was killed Tuesday by a Ukrainian missile strike.

Popov’s remarks about the necessity to rotate his exhausted troops which were combating the Ukrainian counteroffensive since early June, reportedly angered General Staff chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov, who shrugged them off as panicky and promptly ordered his dismissal.

Gerasimov was proven assembly with army officers Monday in a video launched by the Defense Ministry, the primary time he was seen since final month’s abortive insurrection by Prigozhin, who had demanded his ouster. The uproar fueled by Popov’s dismissal may additional erode the place of Gerasimov, who has confronted broad criticism for his conduct of the combating in Ukraine.

Pro-Kremlin political analyst Sergei Markov famous that Popov’s assertion echoed criticism of the highest brass by Prigozhin. However, he added that the overall’s assertion wasn’t a insurrection, however as a substitute a name for intervention by President Vladimir Putin.

“Such public disputes at the top of the Russian army isn’t a show of force,” he mentioned.

During the June 24 revolt that lasted lower than 24 hours, mercenaries from Prigozhin’s Wagner Group shortly swept by the southern Russian metropolis of Rostov-on-Don and captured the army headquarters there with out firing a shot earlier than driving to inside about 200 kilometers (125 miles) of Moscow.

Prigozhin known as his mercenaries again to their camps after placing a deal to finish the insurrection in alternate for an amnesty for him and his mercenaries and permission to maneuver to Belarus.

The insurrection represented the largest menace to Putin in his greater than 20 years in energy and badly dented his authority, regardless that Prigozhin mentioned the rebellion wasn’t aimed in opposition to the president however meant to power the ouster of Gerasimov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The Wagner chief was harshly essential of their conduct of how they’ve carried out the motion in Ukraine.

On Monday, the Kremlin confirmed Prigozhin and 34 of his high officers met with Putin on June 29, a startling announcement that raised new questions concerning the phrases of the take care of Wagner. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned Wagner’s commanders pledged loyalty to Putin and mentioned they had been prepared “to continue to fight for the Motherland.”

Putin has mentioned Wagner troops had to decide on whether or not to signal contracts with the Defense Ministry, transfer to Belarus or retire from service. While particulars of the deal stay murky, uncertainty additionally has surrounded the destiny of Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of the Russian group of forces combating in Ukraine who reportedly had been detained for questioning about his ties to Prigozhin.

Speaking in Helsinki on Thursday after a NATO summit, U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned he’s not sure about what destiny awaits Prigozhin.

“I’m not even sure where he is,” Biden mentioned. “If I were he, I’d be careful what I ate, I’d be keeping an eye on my menu. But all kidding aside … I don’t know. I don’t think any of us know for certain what the future of Prigozhin is in Russia.”

The Defense Ministry mentioned Wednesday that mercenaries of the Wagner Group had been finishing the handover of their weapons to the Russian army, a part of the Kremlin’s efforts to defuse the menace it posed.