Ministry of Defence says dismissals are in part ‘likely an attempt to insulate and deflect blame from Russian senior leadership’ over poor performance on battlefield
Russia appointed a new acting commander of the Central Military District on Nov 3, the UK’s ministry of defence has said.
Major General Alexander Linkov replaces Colonel General Alexander Lapin who was purportedly removed from office at the end of October 2022.
If confirmed, this follows a series of dismissals of senior Russian military commanders since the onset of the invasion in February 2022. The Commanders of the Eastern, Southern, and Western Military Districts were replaced earlier this year.
Lapin has been widely criticised for poor performance on the battlefield in Ukraine by both Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin.
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