CNBC：Russian general claims he has been fired as army comman

Russian general claims he has been fired as army commander for telling truth about battlefield situation

 

Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Thursday, June 8, 2023, Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, the commander of the 58th Army, is seen in a photo at an undisclosed location. Popov said in a statement to his troops that he was dismissed after speaking out about the problems faced by his troops on the battlefield in Ukraine, a sign of new fissures in the Russian military command following a brief rebellion by mercenary chief Yevgney Prigozhin.

Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

A Russian general is believed to be heard saying in a voice recording to a Russian lawmaker that he was dismissed from his post for telling the truth to top military brass about the situation on the ground in Ukraine. Two Russian lawmakers have attributed the voice recording to Gen. Ivan Popov, who served as commander for the 58th Combined Arms Army.

“In your name and in the name of all of our fallen brothers in arms, I had no right to lie, therefore, I’ve outlined all the troubling issues that exist today in the army in terms of combat work and support,” Popov is heard saying in the voice note, according to an NBC translation.

“I called things by their proper name, focused on the most important thing — the tragedy of the modern war. This is the absence of counter-battery combat, reconnaissance, and the massive injuries of our brothers from enemy artillery,” he said.

The general went on to accuse Russia’s defense ministry of betrayal, saying, “We were hit from the rear by our senior commander, treacherously and villainously beheading the army in the most difficult and tense moment.”

CNBC could not independently verify the details of the recording and has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.

— Natasha Turak