Exactly seven months after the start of the war against Ukraine, Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Bulgakov was removed from his post in Russia. Officially, the Defense Ministry justified the measure in a statement on Saturday with the transfer of Bulgakov “to another post”.
His successor will be Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, who previously headed the national defense management center. In the future, he will be responsible, in particular, for the logistics of the army.
“Butcher of Mariupol”
Mizintsev is also known abroad: he was blamed for the heavy attacks on the port of Mariupol in southern Ukraine, which was captured by the Russians in late May. According to Ukrainian sources, thousands of civilians were killed and much of the city was destroyed during the week-long siege. Misintsev, also known as the “Butcher of Mariupol”, is therefore on a sanctions list in Britain.
After recent defeats, Russia’s military leadership around Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has recently come under fire, including in circles close to the Kremlin. Under pressure from Ukrainian counter-offensives, the Russian army had to withdraw from the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv about two weeks ago. Last Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization of his armed forces.