Colonel-General Mykhailo Teplinsky, who was replaced as head of Russia’s air force earlier this year, is likely to return to a leading role, pointing to intense domestic tensions over Russia’s military strategy on the Ukrainian front, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said. in his latest assessment.

The latest intelligence from the UK Ministry of Defense shows that Colonel-General Mykhailo Teplinsky, commander of the Russian Air Force, was probably one of the few high-ranking Russian officers who was “widely respected” by the soldiers.

Russian military bloggers have been claiming since April 1 that the Russian Ministry of Defense recalled from leave the commander of the Russian Air Force (Air Force), Colonel General Mykhailo Teplinsky, replacing him on January 13 with Lieutenant General Oleg Makarevich at the head of the Air Force. VDV.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense said in an assessment published on Sunday that Teplinsky’s mandate would be unlikely to be limited to units of the Russian air force and would likely contribute to the traditional role of elite forces. In recent days, the VDV has resumed a key mission in the Battle of Bakhmut.

The return of General Teplinsky shows the intense tension between factions in the Russian General Staff regarding Russia’s military approach to Ukraine, the British Ministry of Defense also claims.

Since March 27, Russian sources have suggested that the Russian Ministry of Defense also recently dismissed the commander of the Eastern Military District (SVO), Colonel-General Rustam Muradov, in response to intense criticism of his command due to heavy losses in offensive operations near Vugledar in early 2023.

The Institute for the Study of War showed in one of its analyzes that intense Russian speculation about changes in military command corresponded to actual changes in Russian command, although not necessarily to the exact claims of Russian sources.

Five facts revealed by Pentagon documents about Vladimir Putin’s army

Secret US and NATO documents that rocked Washington and its allies after they were posted on social media earlier this week, sparking a Pentagon investigation, contain rare details about Vladimir Putin’s military, The Moscow Times reports.

This is what approximately 100 Pentagon documents reveal about the Russian army, The Moscow Times reports:

• It is noted that up to 43,000 Russian soldiers died at the front by the beginning of 2023, and the total number of losses (killed, wounded, missing) among the Russian army is estimated at 189,500 to 223,000 people.
• The Ukrainian army would lose between 124,500 and 131,000 soldiers, of which 17,500 would be killed.
• The Russian military appears to recognize its shortcomings, with the General Staff’s National Defense Command Center reporting in February that its forces in eastern Ukraine have “reduced combat capability.”
• The American intercepts included plans and specific data of attacks by Russian forces on civilian infrastructure and military targets, including power plants, bridges, drone storage, air defense systems and the Ukrainian military.
• The top-secret document detailed the Russian General Staff’s strategy for countering NATO tanks, which Ukraine is due to receive in April, by creating long-, medium- and short-range “fire zones” covered by individual units and weapons, as well as through training. Russian soldiers on tank positions.
• US intelligence agencies appear to have infiltrated nearly every Russian military agency, including the General Staff, the Ministry of Defense and the GRU, as well as Wagner’s mercenary group.

It will be recalled that during the last week, several alleged documents of the American army and intelligence, dated February-March, were distributed on social networks, which mostly concern Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and contain details about the plans of the West to support Kyiv.

The documents, whose authenticity has not been confirmed, also suggest that the United States may have spied on some of its closest allies, such as Ukraine, South Korea and Israel.

The revelations would also raise suspicions among US allies about Washington’s ability to keep classified information.

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