Angry Putin orders ‘purge’ of Russian commanders after failed invasion of Ukraine

According to Ukrainian government sources, Putin has purged the head of his army and fired a number of top commanders for failings in the ongoing invasion

Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly purging his own commanders over their ongoing failures in Ukraine.

A senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia’s top commander, General Valery Gerasimov, had been suspended and a number of other officers fired.

This comes amid rumors of a purge of Russia’s top leadership as the country’s invasion of Ukraine continues well into its third month.

Oleksiy Arestovych, a military intelligence veteran and one of President Zelensky’s inner circle, claimed Wednesday that Gerasimov, the Russian army’s chief of staff, had been suspended.

This came as Putin was reportedly seeking senior commanders to point the finger at his difficult invasion.

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Speaking to Russian dissident and politician Mark Feygin, Arestovych said on YouTube that Gerasimov has been suspended and that Putin is deciding whether to give the 66-year-old general time to right his wrongs.

This comes after Gerasimov was not seen at the Victory Day Parade in Russia.

Arestovych added: “The commander of the 1st Tank Army of the Western Military District, Lieutenant General Sergei Kisel, was also arrested and released after the 1st Tank Army was defeated near Kharkiv.”

Arestovych admitted the information was “preliminary,” but it comes after reports of Putin’s growing anger at members of the Russian military establishment.

According to information published on a Telegram channel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, two more commanders were dismissed due to failures on the battlefield.

They also claimed that the commander of the Black Sea Fleet had been fired and arrested while his vice admiral was under investigation.

The Find Your Own Telegram feed, operated by the Kyiv Interior Ministry, said: “After the failure in Ukraine – repression and purges in the Russian army.

“The commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Igor Osipov, was relieved of his post and arrested. [There are] Investigative measures regarding… the first deputy commander of the fleet, Vice Admiral Sergei Pinchuk.

“Because of the great loss of personnel, weapons and military equipment, [Russia] Dismissed: Commander of the 6th Army, Lieutenant General Vladislav Ershov; Commander of the Tank Army of the Western Military District, Lieutenant General Sergei Kisel and one of the deputy commanders.

“[Also] Commander of the 22nd Army Corps of the Southern Military District, Major General Arkady Marzoev.”

Despite its size and resources, the Russian army has been repeatedly humiliated on the battlefield by Ukraine and has suffered heavy casualties so far in the war.

Early reports suggested Moscow was aiming to end the invasion in a matter of weeks, but now they find themselves buried as fighting enters its 77th day with no sign of stopping.

Just yesterday it was revealed that Russian troops were decimated trying to cross a river in the Donbass, where fighting is now concentrated.

An artillery attack destroyed at least 58 vehicles as they attempted to sneak.