It is “highly likely” Vladimir Putin has axed one of his top generals following Russia’s stalled invasion of Ukraine, British defence chiefs said on Thursday.
In its daily intelligence update, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said Colonel-General Rustam Muradov had probably been dismissed as commander of Russia’s Eastern Group of Forces.
The assessment comes as the Kremlin’s forces continue to suffer heavy losses with Ukraine’s military continuing to put up fierce resistance backed by western weapon supplies.
The MOD intelligence chiefs noted his departure was the most senior military dismissal of 2023 so far - as Russia’s push for a fresh offensive has suffered a series of setbacks.
The MoD said: “The EGF under Muradov has suffered exceptionally heavy casualties in recent months as its poorly conceived assaults repeatedly failed to capture the Donetsk Oblast town of Vuhledar.
“The operations attracted intense public criticism from across the spectrum of Russian commentators - including Muradov’s own troops.
“Muradov took over the EGF after its disastrous attempt to assault Kyiv from the north-west during the initial full-scale invasion.
“He is the most senior Russian military dismissal of 2023 so far, but more are likely as Russia continues to fail to achieve its objectives in the Donbas.”
News of Col-Gen Muradov’s removal was first reported in the Moscow Times but has so far not been confirmed by Russia’s Ministry of Defence.
Russia’s efforts to take the coal-mining town of Vuhledar earlier this year led to heavy Russian casualties. It was reported that dozens of Russian tanks were destroyed after being ordered to advance in single-file because of a lack of demining equipment.
But claims that Col-Gen Muradov has now been removed by President Putin points to more internal tensions among senior Russian military leaders over the progress of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russian forces have also suffered heavy losses in their bid to seize the town of Bakhmut, also in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, which has been at the centre of intense fighting for months.
On Wednesday western officials suggested the killing of Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in St Petersburg on Sunday reflected internal divisions in Russia over the war.
“It shows internally in Russia there are divisions,” the officials said.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted Russian forces are not in control of Bakhmut but said Kyiv faced a difficult situation in defending the war torn town.
“We are in Bakhmut and the enemy does not control it,” Zelensky said.
“For me, the most important is not to lose our soldiers and of course if there is a moment of even hotter events and the danger we could lose our personnel because of encirclement - of course the corresponding correct decisions will be taken by generals there,” Zelensky said, apparently referring to withdrawal.
In an updatye on Thursday, Ukraine's military said Russian forces were storming Bakhmut with the intention of taking full control of it, adding that Bakhmut, along with the towns of Avdiivka and Maryinka to the southwest, were "the epicentre of hostilities".
Ukrainian military commanders have stressed the importance of holding Bakhmut and other cities and inflicting losses on Russian troops before an anticipated counter-offensive against them in the coming weeks or months.
Meanwhile European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to discuss Ukraine during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday.
Before the trip, Mr Macron agreed in a phone call with US President Joe Biden to engage Beijing to hasten the end of the biggest war in Europe since World War Two.
The US and NATO have said China is considering sending arms to Russia, which Beijing has denied.
In a tweet on Thursday morning Mr Macron said: “I am convinced that China has a major role to play in building peace. This is what I have come to discuss, to move forward on.”
