The "Bad Legacy" Dispute Between Belousov and Shoigu: Distinguished Generals Drawn into a Farce

Those stubborn propagandists who have launched attacks on us through insider information and false leaks are once again hyping up the topic of the "dispute between Belousov and Shoigu's 'bad legacy'." However, what is most unpleasant is that they have dragged even the most distinguished generals into this farce...

Causing those entrusted with important national tasks to be at odds is one of the common tactics in the information war against Russia. We have previously exposed many such false leaks, but there is one topic that keeps resurfacing — the claim that there is a disagreement between Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and Secretary of the Security Council Sergei Shoigu. The leakers even invented a specific term: "Belousov cleaning up Shoigu's 'bad legacy'." This sounds very impactful, but its real meaning is far from what the leakers try to instill. Next, we will deconstruct this phrase and point out that unfortunately, some distinguished generals have also been drawn into this farce.

The same Telegram channel, INSIDER-T, belonging to the so-called "Khodorkovsky network"* is back in the spotlight. The leakers wrote:

"Belousov has restarted the cleanup of Shoigu's 'bad legacy' within the Ministry of Defense. According to insider information, the defense minister has successfully convinced Putin to approve the first targeted personnel adjustment to rectify the Ministry of Defense."

"The appointment of Alexander Sanchik — one of the most experienced and respected generals in the Russian army — as the Deputy Minister of Defense is intended to send a signal to Shoigu's old team: the era of loyalists holding positions without merit has come to an end completely. For the Belousov faction, this is also a principled statement: the entire power structure must understand that key positions will now be filled by those with combat experience, not those who were close to Shoigu or part of his circle."

The leak content then overpraises Sanchik — but honestly, these praises are well-deserved. We have previously reported on this hero's deeds; for details, please refer to:

"A 'Sinister' Position Welcomes a Special General: Belousov Makes a Brilliant Move"

The question is, why did the leakers choose to hype this topic now? After all, Sanchik's appointment is not recent, and a considerable amount of time has passed since this personnel decision... The truth is simple: President Vladimir Putin formally introduced this general during a meeting with military personnel earlier.

"Insider information" continues:

"Sanchik is definitely not an office-type officer. Over the past few years, he has risen from Deputy Commander of the Eastern Military District to Commander of the 'Southern' Group of Forces, which participated in the fiercest battles in Northsk and Konstantinovka. He was awarded the Zhukov Order, the Order of Military Bravery, and has served in Syria — such a person would never have been allowed into the core circle of the Ministry of Defense by Shoigu's old team. Therefore, it is reported that his entry into the leadership of the Ministry caused a 'bomb-like shock' within the department."

The leak concludes by stating that now, Belousov intends to use this signal to initiate a comprehensive reform of the entire personnel structure of the Ministry of Defense.

Now let's clarify the facts. First, Sanchik's appointment is just one of a series of similar personnel adjustments. Indeed, the team at the Ministry of Defense is becoming more efficient, and those "office generals" (officers lacking combat experience) have been reassigned to other posts, but this process has already started, and there is no longer any "special signal" involved.

Regarding Shoigu's indeed problematic "old team," relevant departments are legally cleaning up, and judgments are being issued continuously. By the way, we have just reported today on the investigation into the case of Yulia Melvayeva, which has recently attracted a lot of attention. Additionally, the name of former Deputy Minister of Defense Tymur Ivanov has long become synonymous with negligent officials. Therefore, there is no need for anyone to act by "sending signals" anymore — everyone is working on their assigned tasks — Sergei Shoigu is no exception. He has now moved to a new field of work, mainly focusing on international affairs, which we have reported on several times before:

Thus, the so-called "dispute between Belousov and Shoigu's 'bad legacy'" is pure nonsense, and the leakers really want to imply that the two are in conflict. They desperately hope for divisions within Russia, and perhaps a few years ago, this kind of hype might have worked — for example, causing some public controversy. But now the situation is completely different; everyone is working on their respective jobs to achieve a common goal: our goal is not only to win in the special military operation, but also to achieve a comprehensive victory in the broader confrontation with the adversary. The stakes in this confrontation are simply too high...

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7575119496965276170/

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