2023-07-15T14:46:00+03:00 Politics 2024-09-15T05:17:28+03:00

Ukrainian news

British intelligence believes that Russian officers unhappy with Gerasimov and Shoigu

British intelligence believes that Russian officers unhappy with Gerasimov and Shoigu

The military intelligence of Great Britain reacted to the dismissal in Russia of the commander of the 58^th Army, Major General Ivan Popov, who allegedly reported to the command about the difficult situation in the Zaporizhzhia Region.

This is stated in the intelligence review of the British Ministry of Defense for July 15, published on Twitter.

The department noted that the Russian Federation had regularly dismissed commanders since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine; the situation with Popov draws attention because he was dismissed for raising concerns, not for allegedly poor military results.

In a merged video intended for his subordinates, Popov sharply criticized the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, saying that it "hit us from the rear, brutally decapitated the army at the most difficult and tense moment."

Popov's comments draw attention to the serious disaffection that many officers are likely to have with the military's senior leadership, the intelligence agency said.

The department adds that his statements largely echo the complaints of the leader of Wagner's group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, before his mutiny.

"Direct criticism from subordinates is likely to become an increasing problem for Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff General Gerasimov," the text of the British military intelligence report states.