Russia has fired some of its most senior military commanders over the failure to capture Kharkiv and the sinking of the Moskva warship in April, the UK’s ministry of defence (MoD) has said.
The commanders were demoted for performing poorly in the opening stages of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the MoD said in its latest intelligence update.
“Lieutenant General Serhiy Kisel, who commanded the elite 1st Guards Tank Army, has been suspended for his failure to capture Kharkiv,” the defence officials said.
They added: “Vice Admiral Igor Osipov, who commanded Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, has also likely been suspended following the sinking of the cruiser Moskva in April.”
The British defence ministry said that a “culture of cover-ups and scape-goating is probably prevalent within the Russian military and security system”.
Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky has submitted a bill to Ukraine’s parliament to extend martial law — first imposed on 24 February — and military conscription by three months.
The text of the bill, which was submitted by the Ukrainian president, has yet to be published.
