"Candidate" from Wagner Group Head and Commander of Russian army in Ukraine heads western troops of Russia

Monday, 26 December 2022, 19:15

Evgeniy Nikiforov, a candidate from the axis of Surovikin-Prigozhin [commander of the Russian army in Ukraine and head of Wagner Group – ed.], became the commander of the troops of the Western Military District of the Russian Federation instead of Sergei Kuzovlev from the axis of Shoigu-Gerasimov [Russian Defence Minister and his First Deputy, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation – ed.].

Source: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine on Telegram

Details: Defence Intelligence states that this is another rotation in the high command of the Russian Federation. Kuzovlev managed to stay in this position for only about a month.

Prior to this appointment, Nikiforov held the position of Chief of Staff: First Deputy Commander of the Eastern Military District.

Intelligence sources know that General Nikiforov is currently at the command post of the West troop grouping in the city of Boguchar, Voronezh Oblast.
Quote: "The formal reason for Kuzovlev's dismissal was the failure of preparations for the offensive on the Lyman front. However, in fact, this is a manifestation of an internal political struggle in the top leadership of the Russian Federation: a person from the Shoigu-Gerasimov axis is being replaced by a candidate from the Surovikin-Prigozhin axis."

More details: As Defence Intelligence states, Nikiforov became the fourth commander of the Western Military District since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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