Putin releases the commander of the land troops

In office since 2014

Putin fires commander of the Russian land forces

The Russian commander of the land forces, Oleg Saljukov, has been released. The Kremlin has not yet named a successor.

Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to clean up in his military apparatus. Just a few days after the big parade in Moscow, a high -ranking general had to vacate his post. Oleg Saljukow was previously commander of the rural forces of the Russian army. There were no reasons for the discharge.

As the Kremlin reported, he should now become a deputy secretary in the Russian security council. This committee is managed by Putin itself and is responsible for national security, but cannot provide security authorities and ministries any direct instructions. The first secretary of the committee is the former Defense Minister Sergei Schoigu, who was released by Putin last year.

The 69-year-old Oleg Saljukov has been in office since 2014. Under his leadership, Russian troops in Syria went to war, but he was also responsible for the land troops in the invasion of Ukraine, which was contrary to international law. Previously, he was deputy head of the general staff.

Saljukov is one of several generals who have lost their job within a year. Most recently, Colonel General Gennadi Anaschkin, who commanded the southern armed forces. He was removed from his office in November 2024 because he is said to have fake reports. Lieutenant General Vadim Schamarin, deputy chief of staff, was arrested in May 2024 on suspicion of bribery. In the same month, Lieutenant General Juri Kusnezow, head of the HR department of the Ministry of Defense, was arrested.

So far it is not known who the successor should be. According to the British “Telegraph”, the Kremlin denied that the layoffs of high -ranking military members have to do with setbacks in the war against Ukraine. The front course has been largely unchanged for weeks. Russia has been able to recapture large parts of Kursk, but Putin’s troops are hardly progressing in the Ukrainian areas.

However, the Ukrainian military expects a summer offensive in Russia. Moscow troops are apparently currently holding the front line and the parts of Ukraine they occupy in order to be able to name them as a Russian area during peace talks. Ukraine has announced several times not to accept any area abolitions.