Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has fired a top general who was in charge of the war against Ukraine, as part of his ongoing purge of the military leadership following the attempted coup by the
Wagner group last month.
General Valery Gerasimov, 67, has been removed from his position as conflict commander less than six months after his appointment. He has been replaced by Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinskiy, according to Russian media reports.
This move by Putin, although not officially confirmed, is the latest shake-up in the command structure of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has been ongoing for almost 17 months.
During this war, Putin has dismissed several leaders, including Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, also known as 'The Butcher of Mariupol', and General Rustam Muradov, who was involved in the massacre in Vuhledar earlier this year.
Gerasimov will continue to hold his position as chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, but the overall responsibility for the war now rests with Teplinskiy, 54, who is the commander of the country's airborne troops, as reported by The Moscow Times, citing military-linked pro-war Z-channels.
Putin is attempting to regain control after the mutiny by the Wagner group last month, led by its warlord leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. The Russian dictator is reportedly furious and humiliated by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to bring back key commanders of the Azov regiment from Turkey.
Putin claims that he has been deceived regarding an agreement at the end of the Siege of Mariupol, which stipulated that Azov commander Denys Prokopenko, 32, and his lieutenants would remain in Turkey until the end of the ongoing war.
Zelensky's visit to the liberated Snake Island in the Black Sea to commemorate the 500th day of the war is also likely to further enrage Putin.
The dismissal of Gerasimov coincides with a NATO summit in Lithuania this week, where increased Western support for Ukraine is expected, and with the decision by US President Joe Biden to impose sanctions on the supply of controversial cluster bombs to Kyiv.
Rishi Sunak, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, has stated that the UK discourages the use of cluster bombs, which are prohibited by 123 countries, including the UK. Instead, the UK intends to focus on providing tanks and long-range weapons to Kyiv during their counter-offensive.
Gerasimov has not been seen in public since the mutiny, as Putin tries to shift blame to others for the failures in the war.
Deputy General Sergei 'Armageddon' Surovikin, Gerasimov's deputy, is also reportedly incommunicado and under interrogation due to his alleged knowledge of the coup attempt and his tacit support for Prigozhin.
Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov, who met with Prigozhin on the day of the rebellion, is rumored to have disappeared and may be in danger.
Despite Putin's desire to regain control, Prigozhin appears to be too powerful for the Russian president to apprehend. Instead of going into exile in Belarus, as agreed to end the mutiny, Prigozhin is reportedly openly staying in St Petersburg, despite Putin accusing him of treachery. Tens of thousands of Wagner fighters also remain in Russia.
According to Rybar channel, a popular Russian military blog, authored by former military translator Mikhail Zvinchuk, Gerasimov now has no involvement in military operations. Photo by NVO, Wikimedia commons.