Russian Army Western Military District tank army units loaded onto a troop train in February.
Russian Defence Ministry/Getty Images
The Kremlin recently replaced the commander of the Russian Airborne forces and could be in the process of a major shakeup of their current command structure in Ukraine, according to a new report from the Institute for the Study of War.
The analysis found that many top officials could be blamed for the failure to fully capture Ukraine, prompting the Kremlin to replace those officers with new faces.
Current Chief of Staff of the Central Military District, Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky, will replace the current Commander of the Russian Airborne Forces, Colonel-General Andrey Serdyukov, according to the report.
Ukrainian sources reported that Serdyukov was previously fired from his post by the Kremlin for “poor performance” and “high casualties,” according to ISW’s report.
The ISW also listed other rumors of high-level Russian military leaders being purged from the ranks, though the allegations couldn’t be independently confirmed.
“Such drastic rotations within the Russian military, if true, are not actions taken by a force on the verge of a major success and indicate ongoing dysfunction in the Kremlin’s conduct of the war,” the report states.
Russia has failed to capture Ukraine since its unprovoked invasion began on February 24. After making no progress toward capturing the capital city Kyiv, Russian forces have turned their attention to the eastern part of the country, where a grinding war is now being waged.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
