Russia has fired ‘at least six generals’ over Ukraine conflict

The UK’s Ministry of Defence has accused Russia of disseminating “deliberate misinformation” after Moscow claimed it was deliberately slowing the pace of its military campaign in Ukraine.

The real reason, the MOD said, is that Moscow’s offensive has “stalled” because its military is performing poorly and Ukrainian resistance remains strong.

It also believes that Vladimir Putin and defence minister Sergei Shoigu have “fired at least six generals”.

In its daily update, it said: “On 24 August 2022, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation that Russia was deliberately slowing the pace of its military campaign in Ukraine, driven by the need to reduce civilian casualties.

“This is almost certainly deliberate misinformation. Russia’s offensive has stalled because of poor Russian military performance and fierce Ukrainian resistance. Under Shoigu’s orders, the forces operating in Ukraine have repeatedly missed planned operational timelines.”

The MOD went on: “It is highly likely that Shoigu and President Putin have fired at least six generals for not advancing quickly enough.

“On the day Shoigu was speaking, a Russian SS-26 Iskander short-range ballistic missile struck a train in the town of Chaplyne, reportedly killing at least two children.

“This highlights Russia’s willingness to cause collateral damage when it perceives there is military advantage in launching missile or artillery strikes.”

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to increase the size of Russia’s armed forces from 1.9 million to 2.04 million, as the war in Ukraine enters its seventh month with no signs of abating. The Russian president’s decree appears to point to the country’s aim to replenish its military, which has been heavily damaged in Ukraine and has failed to achieve its objective to capture the capital, Kyiv.