In a surprising turn of events, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced his decision to remove Sergei Shoigu as the Defence Minister. This move has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, as Shoigu has been a key figure in Russia's military strategy for years.
Putin's decision to replace Shoigu comes at a critical time for Russia, with tensions rising on the international stage and ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Syria. The reasons behind this sudden change remain unclear, but many speculate that it could be related to disagreements over military policy or internal power struggles within the Kremlin.
Papers published by the upper chamber of the Russian parliament said Mr Shoigu will be replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov.
The Kremlin said the defence ministry needed to stay "innovative".
Russian government papers show Mr Putin wants Mr Shoigu to take over from Nikolai Patrushev on the powerful security council. It is not yet clear what Mr Patrushev's new post will be.
The changes, certain to be approved by parliamentarians, are the most significant Putin has made to the military command since sending tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022 in what he called a special military operation.
The intense battles have forced at least one Ukrainian unit to withdraw in the Kharkiv region, capitulating more land to Russian forces across less defended settlements in the so-called contested gray zone along the Russian border.
By Sunday afternoon, the town of Vovchansk, among the largest in the northeast with a prewar population of 17,000, emerged as a focal point in the battle.
Volodymyr Tymoshko, the head of the Kharkiv regional police, said that Russian forces were on the outskirts of the town and approaching from three directions.
"Infantry fighting is already taking place," he said.
Esper said that “one of the disappointing things about Shoigu’s tenure is we thought the Russian army, at least during my time at the Pentagon, we thought they were professionalizing, that they were modernizing all their equipment, their doctrine, how they train and fight, and we really haven’t seen that on the battlefield.”
The reshuffle came as thousands more civilians have fled Russia’s renewed ground offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, which has targeted towns and villages with a barrage of artillery and mortar shelling.
The intense battles have forced at least one Ukrainian unit to withdraw as Russian forces seize more territory across less defended settlements in the so-called grey zone along the Russian border.
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