Airborne commander fired
Russia saws off another general in Ukraine
7/16/2023 11:52 am
Within days, Russia’s military leadership fired two high-ranking generals. After the commander of the 58th Army, the commander of an airborne division must resign. According to US experts, both units are among the most powerful Russian formations in Ukraine.
After the dismissal of Major General Ivan Popov, another Russian commander has apparently been relieved of his post. Several Russian war bloggers report that the high command recalled Major General Vladimir Seliverstov as commander of the 106th Guards Airborne Division on Saturday. The reason for the dismissal is unclear. However, the Russian sources speculate that this may be related to Seliverstow’s reputation for helping his soldiers.
According to the US think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the 106th Guards Airborne Division from the Tula region of Russia has been operating in the Bakhmut area since January. Accordingly, the association secures the northern flank of the city in the Ukrainian region of Donetsk. Servicemen of the division’s 137th Guards Airborne Regiment appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin in April, complaining about Tula Region Governor Alexei Dyumin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu over the unit’s lack of supplies. The soldiers’ dissatisfaction with the conditions in the war zone may have prompted Seliverstow to contact the Russian high command, the ISW writes.
“Seliverstow might have followed Popow’s example”
According to US experts, Seliverstow’s sacking could be part of a high command purge of the Russian armed forces. Just a few days ago, Major General Ivan Popov, commander of the 58th Army, had to resign. In a released audio message, Popov said he had been relieved of his post because of his criticism of inefficient warfare.
The 58th Army and the 106th Guards Airborne Division are among the most powerful Russian formations in Ukraine and have so far been able to withstand Kiev’s counter-offensive relatively well in their respective front sectors, the ISW continues. The defensive successes are probably also due to Popov and Seliverstow, who were willing to question their superiors in order to maintain the fighting strength of their troops. “Seliverstow may have followed Popov’s example, or the Russian military leadership may have fired Seliverstow out of fear of such behavior,” the analysts said.
Seliverstov was born in 1973 in the Vladimir region. In 1992 he joined the army and at the end of 2014 he served as deputy brigade commander of the 45th Guards Special Reconnaissance Brigade. Five years later he was appointed deputy commander of the 106th Guards Airborne Division. Since July 2021 he led the unit as commander.
The division took part in the failed advance on Kiev in spring 2022. According to Ukrainian sources, soldiers from the unit massacred civilians in the towns of Bucha, Hostomel and Irpin. At the end of March, the association withdrew to Belarus and was later relocated to eastern Ukraine. Seliverstow was promoted to major general last month.