Russia’s defense ministry shakes up its leadership.
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Russia’s Defense Ministry announced a high-level leadership shake-up on Saturday after an embarrassing rout of its forces in northeast Ukraine.
In a statement, it said Col. Gen. Mikhail Y. Mizintsev — whom Western officials have dubbed the “butcher of Mariupol” — has been appointed deputy defense minister for overseeing logistics, replacing four-star Gen. Dmitri V. Bulgakov, 67, who had held the post since 2008. Mr. Bulgakov was relieved of his position and would be moving on “to another job,” the Defense Ministry statement said.
General Mizintsev, 60, was put on international sanctions lists and accused of atrocities for his role in the brutal siege of the southern city of Mariupol. The change in leadership comes after the ouster of Russian forces from Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region two weeks ago, a retreat that underscored the extent of their logistical failures, according to Western military experts.
“Bulgakov’s replacement is perhaps indicative of the problems with logistics, combat service support, and provision of supplies for the Russian armed forces,” said Michael Kofman, director of Russia studies at CNA, a defense research institute in Arlington, Va. “If anything it may have been overdue.”
It also takes place just days into the chaotic call-up of at least 300,000 more men to fight in Russia’s military. One of General Mizintsev’s first tasks will most likely be feeding and equipping the new recruits.
General Mizintsev previously served as chief of Russia’s National Defense Management Center, which oversees military operations and planning. In that role he was one of the public faces of the war in Ukraine, informing the public about what the Kremlin still calls a “special military operation,” alongside the Defense Ministry spokesman, Igor Konashenkov.
He was placed under U.K. sanctions at the end of March and European Union sanctions in April, both of which referred to General Mizintsev in their designations as the “Butcher of Mariupol” for his role overseeing the siege on the port city.
There have been signs in recent months of the Kremlin’s frustration with the leadership of the Defense Ministry. In March, just after the full-scale invasion began, Defense Minister Sergei K. Shoigu — a longtime close confidant of Mr. Putin — was out of the public eye for 12 days. He has been publicly marginalized since: there are numerous reports in Russian media that Mr. Putin often speaks directly to generals, rather than being briefed by his defense secretary, a snub that observers say is a clear sign of frustration.
General Mizintsev’s appointment is the latest in a string of changes in top military personnel. In mid-June, the Kremlin replaced the commander of the Russian Airborne forces, and fired Gen. Aleksandr V. Dvornikov, who in April had been put in charge of overseeing military operations during the Ukraine invasion, not long after his appointment.
Mr. Kofman said the succession of firings is the result of a mismatch between Mr. Putin’s goals in the war and the military’s capabilities.
“The Russian military has replaced many officers for cause, and some out of frustration that they can’t deliver on objectives that are broadly unattainable,” he said.
— Valerie Hopkins
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