General Lapin, who has repeatedly failed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, has finally been ordered by Putin to "strip off his military uniform" and transferred to a local position responsible for conscription.

Russian domestic sources reported that General Lapin, the former commander of the Leningrad Military District, has been relieved of all military positions and officially retired from active service. He may be appointed as an advisor to the leader of the Tatarstan Republic, Minnigaziev, mainly responsible for recruiting contract soldiers in Tatarstan.

【The former commander of the Leningrad Military District, General Lapin, has been relieved of all military positions】

This news has not yet been officially confirmed by Russian authorities, but it is not baseless. In August, the Russian military announced the appointment of General Nikiforov to replace Lapin, but at that time, no details were given about Lapin's subsequent arrangements.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has transformed Lapin from a high-ranking general commanding four army-level combat units and tens of thousands of troops into a mere advisor to a regional leader.

This drastic change indicates that Putin has abandoned Lapin. It also means that this 61-year-old veteran general has basically lost the chance to make a comeback.

Lapin was already the commander of the Central Military District before the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Instead of gaining promotion during the war or aiming for higher positions such as the Chief of the General Staff, he was moved to Tatarstan to serve as an advisor, which suggests that his poor performance on the battlefield is the core issue.

Lapin rose to become the commander of the Central Military District due to his achievements in Syria. After the outbreak of the conflict, Lapin led the forces of the Central Military District into combat.

【Lapin may be transferred to Tatarstan as an advisor】

In the large counteroffensive launched by the Ukrainian army in Kharkiv, Lapin failed to hold the front line. The head of the Wagner group, Prigozhin, and the leader of the Chechen region, Kadyrov, both criticized Lapin's command. Kadyrov even called Lapin "a mediocre talent protected by the high-ranking officers of the General Staff."

In this context, Lapin was relieved of his post as the commander of the Central Military District. Soon after, he was re-appointed as the Chief of the Army Staff and First Deputy. After Putin reorganized the military districts, Lapin was appointed as the commander of the newly rebuilt Leningrad Military District, leading his forces to form the "Northern" group, responsible for another attack on Kharkiv and defending the border areas like Kursk.

During this period, Lapin disbanded a security committee responsible for the defense of the Kursk border, but failed to deploy the troops effectively. As a result, Ukraine found an opportunity to enter the Kursk area.

Lapin then led his troops to make up for their mistakes, driving the Ukrainian forces out of Kursk with the support of the Korean reinforcements. However, he failed to quickly expand the gains in the offensive campaign against the Sumy region. After the Ukrainian counterattack, the situation on this front continued to be a stalemate.

【Lapin performed poorly in commanding the defense of Kursk】

Due to poor performance, Lapin's command ability has always been questioned. It was beyond many people's expectations that he was only relieved of his command position now.

Lapin is not the only one to end his military career due to poor command since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, with Lapin being dismissed, the renewal of the Russian military command system has entered its final stage. Among the five military district commanders, only the commander of the Moscow Military District, Kuzovlev, remained from those who had reached the rank of military district commander before the war. The commanders of the land, sea, and air forces have also all been replaced.

From an age perspective, among the new commanders of the five military districts and three branches of the military, only the Navy Commander, Moiseev, is a 1960s-born individual, while the rest were born after 1965. The new Army Commander, Moldaviev, is even a 1970s-born individual, showing a clear trend towards youthfulness.

Among the retired generals, it seems that only the former Air and Space Forces Commander, Surovikin, was involved in the "Wagner mutiny" and was put on hold primarily due to political reasons, while other generals were removed mainly due to poor combat performance.

【Truly capable Surovikin was put on hold due to political issues】

These generals mostly rose through low-intensity conflicts such as the Russia-Georgia conflict and the Syrian War. They failed to adapt effectively to the high-intensity warfare of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and thus had to make way for more proactive middle-aged generals.

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict is unlikely to end in the short term, Putin still needs a seasoned general with sufficient experience to maintain stability. Therefore, the position of the Chief of the General Staff, Gerasimov, remains stable for some time.

Under Gerasimov's tenure, the problems in the development of the Russian military are not solely his fault, but also the result of a combination of factors such as slow economic growth and insufficient military funding. Moreover, the merits he earned by stabilizing the morale of the troops and personally commanding operations during the war will prevent him from suffering the same fate as Lapin. He is likely to retire honorably and take up a position in the Russian upper house of parliament.

It should be noted that Putin's series of personnel changes, promoting middle-aged and younger officers who have shown promise in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, are also aimed at leaving behind a sufficiently young, experienced, and battle-tested military command team for potential successors like Yuriev, ensuring that they can deal with most external threats.

【Putin wants to leave a battle-ready command team for Yuriev (right) and others】

Overall, Lapin's retirement marks the gradual end of an era. The Russian military is replacing traditional generals who cannot adapt to high-intensity modern warfare with middle-aged forces that have been tested in real combat.

This ongoing conflict not only reshapes the battlefield situation but also deeply drives the transition and self-renewal of the Russian military command system.

Putin's "personnel changes" are not only to address the current situation but also to lay the groundwork for future power transitions. A younger, more professional, and more efficient officer team will be the key cornerstone for ensuring Russia's long-term security and national stability. The war is still ongoing, and the process of reforming the Russian military continues.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7552849527112253991/

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