Russian general sacked for accusing military leadership of failing soldiers

Major General Ivan Popov

A Russian general is reported to have been sacked for complaining to top military leadership about the terrible situation of soldiers in Ukraine.

Major General Ivan Popov, commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army announced his dismissal in a voice message which was published by Russian lawmaker Andrei Gurulyov.
He said he had been dismissed as a commanding officer after pointing to the military leadership about the dreadful condition at the front in Ukraine.

He said Russian soldiers had been stabbed in the back by the failings of the top military brass.

The defence ministry has not yet commented on the alleged dismissal of the general.
Reuters in its report said it was unable to verify the authenticity of the voice message.

Major General Ivan Popov said senior military officers are in a dilemma either to be a coward and remain silent over the situation or voice out the challenges and face the consequences.
“There was a tough situation with the senior bosses in which it was necessary either to keep quiet and be a coward or to say it the way it is,” Popov said in the voice message.

The 58th Combined Arms Army commander said he outlined all the problem as it is, adding that he had no right to lie in defence of top military rankings or his fallen combatant comrades on the war front.
“I had no right to lie in the name of you, in the name of my fallen comrades in arms, so I outlined all the problems which exist”.

The general said he opened up of the losses of Russian soldiers from Ukrainian artillery pointing out that the army lacked suitable counter battery strategy.
According to Major General Ivan Popov, senior chiefs of the Russians Defence Ministry was him as a treat after speaking out and quickly cooked an order from the defence minister overnight to get rid of him.

“The senior chiefs apparently sensed some kind of danger from me and quickly cooked an order from the defence minister in just one day and got rid of me.”
“The Ukrainian army could not break through our ranks at the front but our senior chief hit us from the rear, viciously beheading the army at the most difficult and intense moment,” Popov revealed in the voice message.