Pro-Kremlin political analyst Sergei Markov noted that Popov's statement echoed criticism of the top brass by Prigozhin. The uproar fueled by Popov's dismissal could further erode the position of Gerasimov, who has faced broad criticism for his conduct of the fighting in Ukraine. Gerasimov was shown meeting with military officers Monday in a video released by the Defense Ministry, the first time he was seen since last month's abortive rebellion by Prigozhin, who had demanded his ouster. Valery Gerasimov, who shrugged them off as panicky and promptly ordered his dismissal. Popov's remarks about the need to rotate his exhausted troops that have been fighting the Ukrainian counteroffensive since early June, reportedly angered General Staff chief Gen. Oleg Tsokov, was killed Tuesday by a Ukrainian missile strike. News of Popov’s dismissal added to the blow that Russian troops received when another senior officer, Lt. In a sign that many in Russian officialdom share Popov’s criticism of the military leadership, Andrei Turchak, the first deputy speaker of the upper house of parliament and head of the main Kremlin party United Russia, strongly backed the general, saying that “the Motherland can be proud of such commanders.”Īndrei Kartapolov, a retired general who heads the defense affairs committee in the lower house, also said the Defense Ministry should deal with the issues raised by Popov. One blogger, Vladislav Shurygin, said it has dealt a “terrible blow to the entire army,” while another, Roman Saponkov, described it as a “monstrous terror attack against the army's morale.” Many military bloggers argued that Popov’s dismissal eroded troop morale at a time of relentless Ukrainian attacks. “I didn't have the right to lie for the sake of you and our fallen comrades.” “I faced a difficult situation with the top leadership when I had to either keep silent and act like a coward, saying what they wanted to hear, or call things by their names,” Popov said. Russian military bloggers say he’s widely known for avoiding unnecessary losses - unlike many other commanders who were eager to sacrifice their soldiers to report successes. The 48-year-old Popov, who has risen from platoon commander to lead a large group of forces, has encouraged his soldiers to come directly to him with any problems - an easygoing approach that contrasted sharply with the stiff formal style of command common in the Russian military.
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