Russian Western military district commander FIRED by Putin following humiliating defeats in Ukraine

The Commander of the Russian Western military district has been fired by Russian President Vladimir Putin, as reported on Monday, October 3.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken the decision to sack the commander of the country’s Western military district after suffering recent defeats in Ukraine.

Colonel General Alexander Zhuravlev has been relieved of his duties, according to reports coming out of Russia.

“Lieutenant General Roman Berdnikov now heads the command of the Western Military District (ZVO), previously the district was led by Colonel General Alexander Zhuravlev,” Russian media outlet RBC reported.

Information about the change of the commander of the ZVO was allegedly confirmed by an RBC source familiar with personnel changes.

However, on Russia’s Ministry of Defense website, Zhuravlev is still listed as the head of the Western Military District, and Berdnikov is the commander of the 29th combined arms army.

The news outlet noted that Berdnikov was previously commander of the combined arms formation of the Eastern Military District, and then commanded a group of Russian troops in Syria.

In 1991 he graduated from the Kyiv Suvorov Military School. In 2020, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.

Zhuravlev is a native of the Tyumen region.

In 2010, he was appointed Commander of the Combined Arms Army of the Volga-Urals Military District, and in 2013, Deputy Commander of the Central Military District. Since May 2015 – Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of the Southern Military District.

The news comes after five settlements around Lyman in the Donetsk region were liberated by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Saturday, October 1.

The spokesman of the Eastern Group of Forces, Serhii Cherevatyi said that the settlements of Yampil, Novoselivka, Shandrigolovo, Drobysheve, and Stavky had been liberated.

“The Russian grouping in the area of Lyman is surrounded,” Cherevatyi said at the time.

Later it was revealed that Russian troops has retreated from the strategic town of Lyman, Ukraine.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation officially announced the withdrawal of troops from Lyman in the Donetsk region on Saturday, October 1.

“Due to the creation of an encirclement threat, the allied troops were withdrawn from the settlement of Lyman to “more profitable lines”, the Russian Defence Ministry said at the time.

They continued: “At the same time, the Ukrainian troops suffered serious losses in the Krasnyy Liman direction – over 200 personnel killed, five tanks, six infantry fighting vehicles and 23 armoured combat vehicles.

“However, having a significant superiority in forces, the Ukrainian Armed Forces brought in reserves and continued their offensive,” the military added.

On Monday, October 3, the Ukrainian Army reportedly liberated the Russian-controlled settlements of Nyzhe Zolone, Pidlyman, Nyznya Zhuravka, Borova and Shyikivka in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine.

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