Russian President Vladimir Putin fired several generals and a top law enforcement official earlier this week, according to reports.
The five generals Putin cut loose on Monday were Maj. Gens. Vasily Kukushkin, Alexander Laas, Andrey Lipilin, Alexander Udovenko, and Yuri Instrankin, according to Russian media. Police Col. Emil Musin was also among the top officials axed in what Russian media are calling a"standard employee reshuffle procedure," citing a Kremlin decree.Since Russia's costly Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, Putin has purged numerous high-ranking military officials.
Most recently, Gen. Aleksandr Dvornikov, the so-called Butcher of Syria, has not been seen in two weeks. Dvornikov was chosen by Putin in April to oversee the war in Ukraine. His disappearance has led to speculation that he is no longer in command of the campaign. His absence from public view is reminiscent of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's weekslong disappearance in March following early failures in Ukraine.
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense said earlier this month that Russia has fired or suspended some senior commanders for poor performance in Ukraine, including the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet after the sinking of the flagship Moskva and the general in charge of the failed takeover of Kharkiv.
Dozens of high-ranking Russian military officers and as many as 30,000 soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since Russia's invasion.
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