Russian general dismissed for 'speaking truth' about Ukraine war

A Russian general recently claimed that he was relieved of his command after bringing attention to the dire situation on the Ukrainian front. 

According to him, Russian soldiers were left vulnerable due to the failures of higher-ranking military officials. 

Despite the recent mutiny by Wagner mercenaries on June 24, which posed a significant domestic challenge to the Russian state, President Vladimir Putin has chosen to retain Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in their positions.

Major General Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army, disclosed in a voice message shared by Russian lawmaker Andrei Gurulyov that he was dismissed after honestly conveying the situation at the front to higher authorities. 

Popov expressed concerns about Russian soldiers being targeted by Ukrainian artillery fire and criticized the army's lack of proper counter-artillery systems and enemy artillery reconnaissance. 

The authenticity of the voice message has not been independently verified, and the defense ministry has not commented on Popov's dismissal.

It remains unclear when the message was recorded, and Popov's current whereabouts are unknown. 

This public criticism of Russia's military leadership by a seasoned general, less than three weeks after the Wagner mutiny, suggests ongoing discontent within the Russian army as it engages in its largest land war in Europe since World War Two.

President Putin, who has been Russia's paramount leader since 1999, has warned that the mutiny risked pushing the country into civil war and drew parallels to the revolutionary turmoil of 1917. 

While the Kremlin has endeavored to project a sense of calm, Russian officials and diplomats have informed Reuters that the full consequences of the mutiny, which Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed was solely aimed at settling scores with Shoigu and Gerasimov, have yet to unfold. 

Prigozhin and General Sergei Surovikin, a deputy commander of Russia's military operations in Ukraine, have not been seen in public since the mutiny took place. 

For months, Prigozhin had been openly insulting Putin's most senior military figures, using offensive language that shocked Russian officials but went unanswered by Putin, Shoigu, or Gerasimov in public.

Popov, aged 48, revealed that he faced a pivotal moment when he decided to speak the truth to his superiors. He explained that he could not lie on behalf of his fallen comrades and outlined all the existing problems. It is unclear when he raised these concerns.

In 2017, the official newspaper of Russia's armed forces published a profile of Popov, highlighting his previous service in Russia's conflicts against separatists in Chechnya and the 2008 war in Georgia. 

A Telegram channel linked to Wagner mercenaries claimed that Popov had raised the issue of rotating exhausted troops from the front line with Gerasimov, although Reuters could not verify this report. 

Notably, Russia's major state television channels did not cover Popov's remarks in their main news programs, but the respected Russian newspaper Kommersant did report on them. 

Russian war bloggers were divided in their interpretations, with some viewing Popov's statements as an act of defiance and others considering him a respected general who had fallen out of favor with the top brass.

Popov expressed uncertainty about his future, suggesting that the higher-ranking officials perceived him as a threat and swiftly orchestrated his removal by issuing an order from the defense minister within a day. He stated, "I await my fate."