Russian general back in action-leads notorious unity of ex-criminal prisoners
Russian general back in action-leads notorious unity of ex-criminal prisoners
A particularly open general Russia who was released and imprisoned two years ago after a sharp criticism of the Ministry of Defense, returns to the front according to his lawyer.
The challenge for Ivan Popov
According to the reports of Russian state media, however, he gets a "poisoned chalice": command of a notorious battalion from former prisoners who suffered immense losses in the Ukraine conflict.
The ascent and case of Popov
Two years ago, Major General Ivan Popov was the excellent commander of the 58th combined weapon army in South Ukraine, for whose leadership he received a lot of praise. But then he made a fatal mistake: he sent a voice message to colleagues in which he sharply criticized the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and explained that he had been released because of his symptoms."The Ukrainian armed forces could not break our army from the front, but our top commander revealed us from behind and the most difficult and tense moment of the army was the most difficult and tense," said Popov in the message, which was sent in July 2023.
criticism and consequences
The sharpness of his criticism was mainly against the chief of staff of the Russian armed forces, Valery Gerasimov. Popov emphasized that the upper commanders felt the danger in him and quickly, within a day, created an order for the Minister of Defense to remove him from use.
Kateryna Stepanenko from the Washington Institute for War Studies explains that Popov's dismissal “Russia outraged ultranationalist officers and veterans who accused the Ministry of Defense to remove Popov to disguise problems in the Russian military.”
The time in exile
Popov's living conditions quickly deteriorated. First he was sent to Syria to act as deputy commander of the Russian troops. In May last year, however, he was arrested for alleged fraud, an accusation that he consistently denied. The public prosecutor demanded a six -year prison sentence and Popov was released from the armed forces. Nevertheless, his supporters continued to speak for him.
an unexpected comeback
Stepanenko believes that the Kremlin "largely failed to convey the Russian ultr nationalist, officers and veterans of Popov's alleged participation in the embezzlement scandal, which led to continued online resistance." Popov wrote an open letter to President Vladimir Putin, who was published in the state media at the end of March and asked to return to the front. In the letter he described Putin as his "moral role model" and expressed: "The legendary words ultimately mean: 'A cool head, a warm heart and clean hands.'"
The way to a dangerous mission
Popov's wish was fulfilled in a way. Last week, Russian state media reported that his lawyer and the Ministry of Defense had approved Popov's application for return to active service instead of an impending prison sentence. Popov's lawyer, Sergei Buinovsky, was quoted by Tass with the words: "Together with the Ministry of Defense, we have an application for suspension of the procedure ... with the positive decision to send Ivan Ivanovich to the SVO (the special military operation)."
a new and risky order
In the meantime, it has not yet been confirmed that the military court has agreed to the pact, but Popov's supporters among the Russian military bloggers were enthusiastic: "The legendary fighter general has returned to the front!" Wrote the popular blogger Vladimir Rogov.
However, there is a drop of bitterness: Popov will not return to his beloved 58th army. According to a report by the Russian economic newspaper Kommersant, Popov should not be sent to the SVO as a regular storm troop soldier, but as a commander of one of the units "Storm Z".
The reality of Storm Z units
Stepanenko describes Popov's mandate as "basically a death sentence, since the Russian military command mainly uses the 'Storm Z' criminal commands for suicide attacks." The Kremlin continues to support the use of prisoners in combat. Putin recently promised that members of Storm Z would receive the status of veterans.
conclusion: the challenges before popov
Russian military leadership strives to increase the number of experienced officers in Ukraine, and increasingly turns to those who have fallen out of favor. Popov has always denied the allegations raised against him, and a military court still has to approve the deal between his lawyer and the Ministry of Defense.
When and when he returns to the battlefield, Popov will need all of its military skills to keep his battalion from former prisoners and keep himself alive.
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