On July 15, several Russian sources reported that the Russian military leadership dismissed the commander of the 106th Guards Airborne Division, Major General Volodymyr Seliverstov.

The Institute for the Study of War said in its latest assessment that the reason for Seliverstov’s release is currently unknown, but Russian sources suggested it may have been “related to Seliverstov’s reputation for standing up for his soldiers.”

Russian sources said the 106th Guards Airborne Division (Airborne Division) has been operating in the Bakhmut area since January, and ISW recently observed the 137th Guards Airborne Regiment of the 106th Division defending against Ukrainian counteroffensive operations on the northern flank of Bakhmut.

A Russian military blogger said units of the 106th Airborne Division were also supporting Russian defense operations south of Bakhmut.

Relatives of those mobilized, who are serving in the 137th Airborne Regiment, appealed to the President of Russia Vladimir Putin and other officials about the poor conditions and lack of supplies in the unit, Kyiv Independent quotes.

“It is possible that loud dissatisfaction with the conditions in the areas where Russian troops are defending themselves from Ukrainian counteroffensive operations prompted Seliverstov to turn to the Russian military command, which could contribute to his release,” the ISV said in a statement.

ISW added that it had not seen confirmation of Selieverstov’s dismissal, but that Russian reports of the dismissal “follow a similar pattern to earlier claims of command changes that have proven to be true.”

The highest Russian authorities are likely to be increasingly criticized by subordinates

Russia’s military leadership is likely to face increased criticism from subordinates, the British Ministry of Defense reported, citing The Guardian.

The department cited the example of the dismissal of Major General Ivan Popov, who was dismissed from his post after he sharply criticized the Russian military leadership in a video clip intended for his troops that got into the media.

Popov, who commanded the 58th Combined Arms Army, which is fighting on the Ukrainian front near Zaporizhzhia, said that the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation “is hitting us from behind, maliciously decapitalizing the army at the most difficult and tense moment.”

“There was a difficult situation with the superiors, in which they had to be either silent and cowardly, or shout,” Popov said.

The British ministry said Russia had regularly fired commanders since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, but Popov’s removal was notable because “he was apparently fired because he had caused concern, not because of alleged poor performance.”

The Ministry wrote on Twitter:

Popov’s comments draw attention to the disillusionment of many officers with the top military leadership. The complaints in many ways resemble those of Wagner Group owner Yevgeny Prigozhin before the June 2023 uprising.

Direct criticism from subordinates is likely to become an increasing problem for Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff General Gerasimov.