Russia has initiated a significant purge of its military leadership, with multiple high-ranking officials being arrested on charges of corruption and abuse of power. In the past month alone, five generals have been detained, including Lt. Gen. Shamarin on charges of embezzlement and fraud from 2016. The Federal Security Service (FSB) is leading the crackdown, which is seen as an effort to consolidate power and improve the military's performance. President Vladimir Putin has reportedly endorsed the purge to address long-standing corruption and incompetence within the military ranks. The arrests are also viewed as a maneuver to prevent potential military coups, with the FSB holding dossiers on many top defense officials. Among those arrested is the Deputy Chief of Staff on bribery charges. The move has sparked significant unrest within the military, with some soldiers threatening rebellion to free detained officers like Major General Ivan Popov, who remains in pre-trial detention after a court denied his appeal for house arrest. Government sources indicate that dozens more military figures may be targeted in the ongoing purge.
In his nostalgia for the “good old days”, Putin has now gone for another retro move - a purge of senior military officers. Can we expect show trials? Confessions?
FSB Launches Sweeping Purge of Military Elites With Kremlin’s Approval https://t.co/ndtXBR0iqf
A few thoughts on Putin's purge of the military: 1. The FSB does it, not Belousov. 2. Putin favors the dysfunctional FSB over the useless military. 3. Putin loves corruption so this is only an action against the military. 4. This purge is likely to weaken the Russian military. https://t.co/gZmkHaUbTD
It began last month with the arrest of a Russian deputy defense minister. Then the head of the ministry's personnel directorate was hauled into court. This week, two more senior military officials were detained. All face charges of corruption, which... https://t.co/9qhcvu2aje
Why is Putin purging his generals? Quick thoughts on why "Belousov’s accountants may well yet make a serious contribution to the war effort" for @SpecCoffeeHouse https://t.co/iUgXwF4qBM
For the past seven months, Russia has been conducting offensive operations in Ukraine to persuade the United States and the West to abandon Ukraine and set conditions to collapse Ukraine's defenses. 🧵(1/5) https://t.co/ayDIe4esda https://t.co/foni4aPSAm
Meduza: Russia has arrested four generals in the past month. Here’s what we know about the Defense Ministry ‘purge.’ https://t.co/7I7cSPuUJu
Russian soldiers loyal to Maj Gen Popov, former commander of the 58th Army, are vocally defiant in their communications and are threatening a military rebellion to free him in Moscow. Today the Kremlin backtracked on placing him under house arrest and opted to keep him in prison. https://t.co/8oKbt3xZ0M
Top Russian military officials are being arrested. Why is it happening? (from @AP) https://t.co/9Yhinx07Ta
COUP RISK RISING IN RUSSIA: The Kremlin regime reversed course and opted to keep the popular Maj Gen 'Spartak' Popov in prison. House arrest denied. This is significant. Popov made various snarky comments while seeming relaxed. Attempt to arrest Gerasimov might be the trigger. https://t.co/OKHq3YztMU
Update: Russian Major General Ivan Popov, who was arrested on felony fraud charges earlier this week, is to remain in pre-trial detention after a Moscow military court rejected an appeal to transfer him to house arrest. https://t.co/pIsJPj2u0f https://t.co/wvFOM6iht4
"Ostensibly an effort to stamp out military corruption, the Federal Security Service (FSB) is going after high-ranking generals in hopes of pinning the blame for the botched 2022 invasion of Ukraine on the military’s top brass and taking control of the distribution of the army’s…
US soldier held in Russia loses appeal for release: report https://t.co/brB5D31Jdd
Exclusive: The purge is the culmination of wartime infighting and competition for resources between the security services and the Defense Ministry — and marks a victory for the FSB, the successor to the Soviet KGB, in currying President Putin’s favor. https://t.co/b9FGg88Heg
EXCLUSIVE: The arrests of five top Russian military officers are likely just the first of dozens who will be jailed in a purge carried out by the FSB, government officials and sources close to the Kremlin and the Defense Ministry told MT. https://t.co/8pltYVc7IF
EXCLUSIVE: The arrests of five top Russian generals are likely just the first of dozens of military figures who will be jailed in a purge carried out by the FSB, government officials and sources close to the Kremlin and the Defense Ministry told MT. https://t.co/8pltYVc7IF
Top Russian Military Officials Are Being Arrested. Why is it Happening? https://t.co/b10RcsKCE9
Top Russian military officials are being arrested. Why is it happening? https://t.co/WV5uLW7Rcy
Putin's Purge? Another Top Russian General Arrested On Bribery Charges https://t.co/MVQYiFWWJ4
Putin is going full Stalin on his military officials as the purge continues. The fifth senior Defense Ministry officer has been detained. https://t.co/Ve8lnZYWXB
#NDTVWorld | Russia Arrests Top General On Corruption Charges: Report https://t.co/l6nRHrqZXu https://t.co/5nZ4HXOXb4
NEW: The Kremlin is pursuing a concerted effort to remove senior Russian defense officials and has likely expanded this effort to senior officers commanding Russian combat operations in Ukraine. 🧵(1/4) https://t.co/WX5lWU9d8R
Deputy #Russian #military chief of staff #jailed for #bribery in latest arrest of senior defense official https://t.co/wJXNkCWoc1
🚨 Osechkin: "Putin is scared of military coup." FSB has dossiers filled with crimes on virtually everyone at the top of the Ministry of Defence. Lt Gen Shamarin was arrested now on charges of embezzlement & fraud he committed in 2016. Purges will continue until morale improves. https://t.co/7MpLqs9Ww6
In the span of a month, Russia has arrested four generals on felony charges in what some are calling a Defense Ministry “purge.” Here’s what we know about the arrests so far. https://t.co/pIsJPj2u0f
The Purge of Russia's Defense Ministry Spreads https://t.co/XYmZmMKpG6
Meanwhile in Russia arrests of corrupt and incompetent high-ranking military officials continue. Putin greenlighted the cleaning of the house because the corruption has been known for a while. He wants the Russian army to be more successful during this presidential term than…
NEW: Russia purges military leadership, as war drags on https://t.co/lx1Kd96hSY
BREAKING: Russia arrests another defence official on ‘abuse of power’ charges: investigators READ: https://t.co/GRAav2Nk6R https://t.co/BevdkTClXD