JAKARTA - Two Russian generals are threatened with dismissal after their troops did not comply with orders, withdrew from Ukraine's important city, Western officials said on Tuesday.
Thousands of Russian troops fled the strategic important city of goodminton guarding important river crossings, despite direct orders from Moscow to stay where they are.
As Ukraine's retaliatory attacks accelerated, the strategic and vital city of Kherson in the south was also under pressure from three axes of attack. However, President Vladimir Putin allegedly ordered 20,000 of his defenders to stay, despite the siege threat.
Now there is an increasing possibility that two Russian generals who led the Army Group South and Army Group Center will be dismissed from their positions, Western sources said.
"We can look forward to seeing more command changes in the military," an official said.
"There is a special burden on the shoulders of two individuals, General Alexander Lapin and General Sergei Surovikin in the south. Above them, we have seen widespread dissatisfaction with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and General (Valery) Gerasimov (Panglima Armed Forces).
There is "the tone that is increasingly shrill in criticism of Russia's leadership" from nationalists who feel "lost and even betrayal" over the defeat.
The dismissal of General Surovokin would be a further insult to President Putin, as Moscow raised its reputation as a winner in the Syrian conflict when he took office in Ukraine in early summer.
The fall showed dysfunction and confusion among Moscow's commanders. There is the Donetsk river main bridge, as well as an important crossroads and trains, politically important as one of the main urban areas in the Donetsk area that has just been annexed.
It is also maintained by trained Russian forces, including Arctic specialist forces from the Russian Northern Fleet, volunteer reserves and regular army from the 20th Joint Army.
"They all appear to have resigned in poor order, suffering heavy casualties from artillery fire as they tried to leave the city to the east," Western officials said.
Unlike the regular withdrawal of about 10,000 square kilometers of land in the Kharkiv area two weeks ago, the withdrawal was more of a defeat.
"We thought the Russian troops had resigned despite orders to stay and stay. As part of the Donbas area that had just been annexed, handing over this area was something the Kremlin didn't want," the official said.
"It is an area in which we believe the Russian political leadership does not want to withdraw from the announcement made 24 hours earlier about an exploration," he said.
Separately, Russia fired the Western Military District Commander on Monday, in line with the defeat of Moscow forces in the war in Ukraine.
Citing Reuters from the RBC, Colonel General Alexander Zhuravlyov will be replaced by Lieutenant General Roman Berdnikov. There was no official confirmation of the change, which was also reported by other news sites.
The western military district was one of five that formed Russia's armed forces. Zhuravlyov's removal follows Russia's dramatic loss in northeastern Ukraine last month and Ukraine's fall of methamphetamine on Saturday, which Russia has used as an important logistics hub in the Donetsk region.
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