PARANOID Putin has purged another general – as eight Russian top brass become detained or suspended in the wake of the Wagner rebellion.
Major-General Vladimir Seliverstov was the latest victim in the mass-purge, as Russia’s defence chief has begun to root out the “bad blood” in the Kremlin.
East2WestMajor General Vladimir Seliverstov is the latest victim in Putin’s mass-purge[/caption]
APSergei Surovikin is reportedly in jail[/caption]
AFPEight members of Vladimir Putin’s top brass have been suspended or detained[/caption]
Seliverstov was one of Russia’s youngest and most ruthless generals who headed the 106th Airborne Division operating in the Bakhmut meat-grinder.
According to local reports, the 49-year-old paratrooper was either fired, suspended or detained after he vanished from his duties.
The reason for Seliverstov’s removal is unknown but some have pointed to his “uncompromising nature”.
A Telegram channel linked to the Wagner Group posted: “[He is a commander] not used to being silent when defending issues regarding his troops.”
It comes as Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu was allegedly conducting “combat operations” against his own top brass.
Notorious Sergei “Armageddon” Surovikin was said to be on Shoigu’s list after reports he had not been seen or heard from since the botched Wagner coup.
The 56-year-old man is believed to be under interrogation and likely in jail after he sided with Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Earlier this week, Major-General Ivan Popov vanished soon after he was fired for his leaked voice message scolding his comrades.
In the recording, the 48-year-old man spoke of Putin’s high command as “treacherously and vilely decapitating the army at the most difficult and tense moment”.
According to Telegram channel VChK-OGPU, Popov’s wife claimed he was “summoned” to an unknown place and “abruptly disappeared” after his critique of President Putin’s war strategy.
Another victim was Major-General Nikolay Gostev who was removed from his post amid Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
The commander of Russia’s 4th Air Force Army is reportedly “resting” currently.
Similarly, Air Force commander Col-Gen Andrey Yudin, 61, was reportedly suspended after he was interrogated following the Wagner mutiny in June.
The same action applied to Lt-Gen Vladimir Alexseev, 62, who was the deputy head of military intelligence.
In April, evil Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev was ousted after he joined Wagner.
Known as the Butcher of Mariupol – the man’s whereabouts remain unknown.
Finally, the eighth missing Russian official is Colonel-General Yunus-bek Yevkurov.
The 59-year-old deputy defence minister has not been seen since early July.
It comes as Lieutenant-General Oleg Tsokov, 51, was killed by a British-supplied Storm Shadow missile in Berdiansk this week.
APMajor General Ivan Popov has vanished, it was reported[/caption]
East2WestMajor-General Nikolay Gostev is reportedly ‘resting’[/caption]
East2WestColonel-General Andrei Yudin was suspended from duty[/caption]
AlamyMikhail Mizintsev known as ‘the butcher of Mariupol’ was ousted after joining the Wagner Group[/caption]
AFPRussian Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov has not been seen since July[/caption]
East2WestOleg Tsokov, 51, was killed by a Ukrainian Armed Forces airstrike[/caption]
