Moscow

An American think tank has claimed that insubordination is on the rise in the Russian military after top commanders were fired over questioning Kremlin's war strategy. The Institute for the Study of War said the disobeying of orders by the Russian troops was creating a problem for President Vladimir Putin. 

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The report claimed that incidences of insubordination rose after the dismissal of Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, the commander of the 58th army in the Zaporizhzhia region - a focal point in Ukraine's counteroffensive. After Popov's firing, several military bloggers across the country criticised the Putin administration for taking unilateral calls that may harm morale. 

In an audio statement released for his troops, Popov could be heard saying he was inflicted a "treacherous" stab after meeting the top military brass of the country. 

"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 defence minister in just one day," he said. "The Ukrainian military has failed to break through our army's defences, but the top commander hit us in the rear, treacherously and cowardly beheading the army at this most difficult moment."

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"It was necessary either to keep quiet and be a coward or to say it the way it is. 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," he added. 

Also read | Russian top general sacked for questioning defence ministry’s tactics in southern Ukraine

Threat issued by troops 

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Apart from Popov, the dismissals of 106th Guards Airborne (VDV) Division Commander Major General Vladimir Seliverstov, 7th VDV Division Commander Major General Alexander Kornev and Major General Ramil Ibatullin, 90th Tank Division Commander have sullied the morale of troops fighting on the frontlines. 

"A prominent Kremlin-affiliated blogger claimed that Seliverstov’s dismissal was a result of similar insubordination, and Russian sources claimed that Seliverstov had a reputation for speaking up on behalf of his soldiers," the think tank noted. 

Watch | Russian President Putin may visit China to attend Belt & Road Summit in October 

With reports claiming that the Russian defence ministry was planning to arrest VDV Commander Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky, troops in the division have threatened they would withdraw from their positions in occupied Kherson Oblast. 

The VDV servicemen are blackmailing the Russian MoD to ensure that Teplinsky continues to command troops in Ukraine, despite Teplinsky’s previous affiliation with Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Russia's struggles 

Despite making decent headways in the war, Russia has struggled to maintain an effective command structure, experts argue. It is perhaps one of the reasons why Ukraine has managed to put up a defiant defence which has not been breached completely so far.

Several big names have been purged while others have been quietly removed from public duty. The think tank said if the current situation persists, the morale of troops is likely to be hurt which will "degrade Russian capabilities to conduct tactical offensive operations that are critical to the Russian elastic defence in southern Ukraine".  

(Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.)

(With inputs from agencies)

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