A top Russian military official said he was relieved from his post after complaining about the shortages his troops are suffering in Ukraine.
Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, in charge of forces fighting in southern Ukraine, claimed he was dismissed after meeting with other officials to discuss the situation in the war-torn nation.
He reportedly opened up about various shortages in Ukraine, particularly radars that can track enemy artillery.
“The top officers apparently saw me as a source of threat and rapidly issued an order to get rid of me, which was signed by the defense minister in just one day,” he said, as quoted by Associated Press.
Popov described the move as a “treacherous” stab in the back to Russian forces in Ukraine.
‘A Terrible Blow’
Popov reportedly led his units using an easygoing approach completely different from the “stiff, formal style of command” typical in the Russian military.
Russian military bloggers describe him as an official who encouraged his soldiers to directly report to him any problems on the battlefield.
He is also widely known for avoiding unnecessary losses just to report success.
According to military observers, Popov’s dismissal will crush the morale of Russian troops at a time of relentless Ukrainian attacks.
One even described the move as a “terrible blow” to the entire army.
Coinciding With Intel Reports
Popov’s complaint about the lack of tracking systems in Ukraine coincides with a recent UK Ministry of Defence intelligence report about the situation in Kyiv.
The report states that the Russian government failed to provide sufficient counter-battery radars, which invading forces heavily rely on to survive Ukrainian attacks.
The lack of counter-battery provision is reportedly an effect of a “worsening shortage” of such systems in Moscow, particularly the modern ZOOPARK-1M.
“Only a handful of the originally deployed ZOOPARK fleet are likely to remain operational in Ukraine,” the intel report suggests.