Well, the “Revolt of the Generals” continues. We had Prigozhin’s statements and claims leading up to the 23 June mutiny, we now have hard claims coming from the now relieved commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army, MG Ivan Popov. See article attached: Major General Popov with the call sign “Spartak” told his “gladiators” that he was “treacherously and vilely” fired after reporting on the problems of the army (russianfreepress.com)
The core of his statement is that:
In the name of you, in the name of the dead of all our combat friends, I had no right to lie, therefore, I outlined all the problematic issues that exist today in the army in terms of combat work and support. He called everything by its proper name. He focused on the most important tragedy of modern warfare – this is the lack of counter-battery combat, the absence of artillery reconnaissance stations and the mass death and injury of our brothers from enemy artillery.
The actual message is here: Telegram: Contact @agurulev
We have not checked the translation yet and there may be flaws in it, but the point is, he is publicly objecting to Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov’s leadership, and it is being broadcast by a member of the State Duma Defense Committee.
Hesitant to say much on a developing story, but having multiple military leaders publicly speaking out again their commanding officers really is not a good sign. As he notes:
As many commanders of the regiments of the division said today, the military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine could not break through our army from the front, our senior commander hit us from the rear, treacherously and vilely decapitating the army at the most difficult and tense moment.
Will there be others? Will there be corrective action?
“our army from the front, our senior commander hit us from the rear, treacherously and vilely decapitating the army at the most difficult and tense moment.”
Wonder what he means by that, another complain about ammunition?
A complaint about lack of support I gather. One could conclude from his comments that they are losing the artillery war and suffering higher casualties as a result.