Commander of the Western Military District was changed in Russia again

The Commander of the Western Military District (MD) has been replaced in Russia for the fourth time since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This was reported by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.

It is about the cleansing of the army leadership from Shoigu's people to the protégés of Surovikin and Prigozhin. This time, the latter pushed a certain Nikiforov.

"The occupation army has undergone another rotation in the high command. Colonel-General Kuzovlev Serhiy Yuriyovych was dismissed from the post of the commander of the troops of the Western Military District, who had been in this position for only about a month. Instead, the Western Military District was headed by Lieutenant General Yevhen Valeriyovych Nikiforov," the DIU noted.

According to the intelligence, Nikiforov previously held the post of Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of the Eastern Military District.

Today he is at the command post of the West troops grouping in Boguchar, Voronezh region.

The formal reason for Kuzovlev's dismissal is the failure to prepare the offensive in the Liman direction.

"However, in fact, this is a manifestation of internal political struggle in the top leadership of Russia - a man from the orbit of Shoigu-Gerasimov is being replaced by a candidate from the Surovikin-Prigozhin group," the intelligence noted.

General Nikiforov became the fourth commander of the Western Military District since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the intelligence noted.

Nikiforov's predecessors:

• Colonel General Alexander Zhuravlev served as the commander of the Western Military District from November 2018 to July 2022 (in fact, from April 2022 he was removed from his duties);

• Lieutenant General Andriy Sychevyi - from July to August;

• Lieutenant General Roman Berdnikov - from August to September;

• Colonel General Sergey Kuzovlev - from November to December.

On October 29, Russian General Alexander Lapin, who commanded the "Center" group of occupation troops, was dismissed from his post.

The day before, the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov made another "attack" on Lapin. He accused Lapin of the breakthrough of the Armed Forces in Donetsk region. Allegedly, "Kadyrov's men", who arrived at the scene, did not find Lapin's men there. As a result, they had to remove the defense from Rubizhne and transfer it to the place of the breakthrough of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 23 people were killed, 58 more were injured.

This was not the first public attack of Kadyrov on Lapin. Moreover, he was supported in this by the owner of PMC Wagner Prigozhin.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 27/12/2022