Russian President Vladimir Putin has removed his top general due to the massive loss of troops in the Ukraine war. Colonel-General Andrey Serdyukov, 60, has been removed from his position over massive casualties in elite paratroopers, according to reports.
Ukrainian sources claimed that Putin was unhappy with Serdyukov and he replaced him with Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky, who is also known as "Butcher of Bucha".
Nearly 50,000 Russian Soldiers Died in The Ukraine War
Reports claimed that the number of dead casualties in the Russian troops is much higher than expected. Nearly 50,000 Russian soldiers are believed to have lost their lives in the Ukraine war.
Russia has given no indication that Serdyukov is removed from his position. The information emerged from Odessa military-civilian spokesperson Serhiy Bratchuk claimed that Putin axed Serdyukov and replaced him with Butcher of Bucha.
Serdyukov Is Replaced By Butcher of Bucha Mikhail Teplinsky
Serdyukov, who is believed to be Russia's one of the best military minds, was previously awarded 'Hero of Russia'. Notably, he also led Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014.
Multiple changes have been made among the top officers in the Russian military since the beginning of the war but most of them are held secret or lesser-known.
Putin Actively Involved In Making Small Military Decision
It's also being claimed that Putin himself is directly involved in general and specific military decisions.
Private Military Companies Also Faced Losses
Telegram channel General SVR alleged that the overall Russian army toll in the Ukraine conflict is now 37,592. Added to this were the alleged losses of 9,457 fighters from private military companies backing the Russian war effort, according to The US Sun.
General SVR also claimed that the Russian National Guard witnessed 1788 of its troops' losses in the Ukraine war. The Russian National Guard is an elite unit and it reports directly to Putin.
Associate Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society 'Taras Kuzio' told The US Sun that dozens of Russian paratroopers were killed in their doomed bid to take Hostomel airport.
"They (the paratroopers) are sent ahead of the main troops to secure a location so that the main forces can be brought up. In this war, they were flown into Hostomel airport near Kyiv to do this but were all killed," Kuzio told The Sun.
