A Russian normal who criticized the country’s Ministry of Protection would possibly quickly be reinstated to the entrance traces of the battle in Ukraine this week, consistent with a document from CNN.
Common Primary Ivan Popov as soon as commanded Russia’s 58th Army earlier than being sidelined, accused of fraud, and detained after blasting Russian army management in 2023. His attorney and the Ministry of Protection known as for him to be put accountable for one in all Russia’s notorious detachments of ex-convicts, forces that experience sustained huge casualties within the battle in opposition to Ukraine.
“We, along side the Ministry of Protection, have a movement to droop at the case… with the certain resolution to ship Ivan to [Ukraine],” the attorney, Sergei Buinovsky, mentioned, consistent with Russian media.
Popov revealed an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin in March, asking the chief to reinstate him to army carrier to be able to droop his prison trial.
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Primary Common Ivan Popov, former commander of Russia’s 58th military, arrested on suspicion of fraud, attends a listening to on the army courtroom in Moscow, Russia, on Would possibly 27, 2024. (REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina)
Former protection intelligence officer and writer of “Putin’s Playbook” Rebekah Koffler says Putin would possibly intrude within the case to make sure Popov is deployed to Ukraine.
“Putin robotically weighs in on high-profile instances, particularly when Western media is concerned,” Koffler advised Fox Information Virtual on Tuesday.
“Putin is unpredictable – he would possibly make a decision to let the method run its direction and feature Popov serve a jail sentence or he would possibly make a decision to ship him into the beef grinder in Ukraine and serve the ‘Russian motherland,’ creating a propaganda case out of it, since Popov requested for it,” she added.
The project to a penal detachment is arguably a loss of life sentence, on the other hand, as Russia’s army has robotically used ex-convict forces to habits near-suicidal missions within the war against Ukraine, resulting in excessive casualty charges.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin reassigned Popov this week. (Aleksey Babushkin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Picture)
“I used to be subjected to unjust prosecution,” Popov wrote in his letter to Putin. “I want to proceed smashing the enemy according to the oath I took.”
Popov’s attorney, Sergei Buinovskiy, advised Russian media that Popov “used to be thankful for the accept as true with the president has positioned in him.”
As commander of Russia’s 58th Military, Popov used to be accountable for a pressure of just about 50,000 troops. The detachment he may quickly lead most probably numbers within the masses, on the other hand.
Ukrainian infantrymen stand close to destroyed Russian tanks in Izium, Ukraine, on Sept. 20, 2022. (REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)
On the head of the 58th Military, Popov received reputation with front-line troops by way of repelling a Ukrainian counter-attack that relied closely on tanks equipped by way of NATO countries. He then blasted Russia’s most sensible commanders for permitting Ukraine’s preliminary leap forward.
“The defense force of Ukraine may no longer spoil thru our military from the entrance, [but] our senior commander hit us from the rear, treacherously and vilely decapitating the military on the maximum tough and stressful second,” Popov mentioned of Russian army chief-of-staff Valery Gerasimov on the time.
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Popov used to be quickly reassigned to Syria earlier than fraud fees landed him in courtroom. He denied wrongdoing and retained many allies in Moscow who shared his criticisms of Russian army management.
