"The Pentagon says it’s confirmed that Iran has given “a number of close-range ballistic missiles to Russia.” While Washington isn’t sure exactly how many rockets are being handed over to Moscow, the U.S. Defense Department assesses that Russia could begin putting them to use within a few weeks, “leading to the deaths of even more Ukrainian civilians.”(Meduza: 13 September 2024) (my emphasis)
"The delivery of Iranian missiles to Russia has changed the debate about Ukraine using Western-provided long-range missiles against targets inside Russia, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has told the BBC on a visit to Kyiv. ... In an interview with the BBC, Lammy said Iran providing Russia with ballistic missiles "clearly changes the debate" as they would allow Moscow's forces "to have further penetration into Ukraine". (BBC News: 11 September 2024) (my emphasis)
"United States president Joe Biden appears to be on the verge of clearing the way for Ukraine to launch long-range western weapons deep inside Russian territory, as long as it doesn’t use arms provided by the US, European officials say. ... Britain has already signalled to the US that it is eager to let Ukraine use its “Storm Shadow” long-range missiles to strike at Russian military targets far from the Ukrainian border. But it wants explicit permission from Mr Biden in order to demonstrate a co-ordinated strategy with the United States and France, which makes a similar missile." (Irish Times: 13 September 2024) (my emphasis)
As Sir Keith Starmer (left)states,
"Russia started the conflict in Ukraine and can end it "straight away”, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
“Russia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia can end this conflict straight away,” he said.
He
later added: “To reiterate, it was Russia who started this in the first
place. They caused the conflict, they’re the ones who are acting
unlawfully.” (Chris Mason and Isabella Allen: BBC News: 12 September 2024) (my emphasis)
But with the threat of US and UK long-range missiles being aimed at Russia's war infrastructure, Putin once again is threatening to unleash war against NATO members who may greenlight their use of long-range missiles to destroy Putins' war infrastructure.
The 'political emptiness' of Putin's threats of war with NATO members is best desribed by LT Col Stuart Crawford(left) as,
"Putin and the Russian people will now be brought ever closer to the front line of their illegal, unprovoked, and aggressive war in Ukraine. Typically, he has reacted to the news with his usual mix of threats and bluster, suggesting that Moscow would regard western missiles being used against it as a serious escalation of the war. ... While it would be both brave and foolhardy to dismiss such threats completely out of hand, it is most unlikely that Putin would follow through, or be allowed to follow through by his political advisers and rivals in the Kremlin, with such threats.
The reason? Quite simply it would lead to the demise of both him and the Russian regime. NATO is so many times more powerful both militarily and economically than Russia that there could be only one winner. So it won’t happen." (Express: 13 September 2024) (my emphasis)
"But frankly, president Putin shown here knows that if the West were directly engaged .... if NATO is directly engaged .... Russia would be stopped in its tracks" (Sky News: 13 September 2024) (my emphasis) (cf also: Mark Moore: International Busness Times: 13 Sept 2024)
Putin has painted himself into an even tighter 'political corner' with his threat of war with NATO.
The 'siloviki' in the Kremlin no doubt realise this.
What will be the reaction of the Russian people when they are told that they are at war with NATO?
Will they 'man the barricades' to protect the motherland, with the threat of near total 'nuclear' annihilation hanging like a sword of Damocles over their head if Putin fires even one of his 'nuclear' warheads against a NATO country?
On September 5th, Tara Copp(left) informed us that,
"Top U.S. military leaders will be in Germany to discuss Ukraine’s wartime needs as Russia has conducted one of its deadliest airstrikes in the conflict and Ukraine presses its offensive in Russia’s Kursk region." ... The group’s priorities include bolstering Ukraine’s air defenses and “energizing of the defense industrial bases” of allies to ensure long-term support for Kyiv, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s press secretary, said in a statement Thursday." (AP: 5 September 2024) (my emphasis)
She goes on to report that,
"That the group of military leaders from Ukraine’s allies [right: incl. US Gen. CQ Brown Jr] has continued to meet and agree to send weapons is extraordinary, however. " (ibid Tara Copp)
"German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a renewed effort to bring peace to Ukraine, adding that he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had both agreed in recent talks on the need for a new peace conference that would include Russia. "I believe that now is the time to discuss how to arrive at peace from this state of war, indeed at a faster pace," Scholz told broadcaster ZDF in a televised interview." (Reuters: 8 September 2024) (my emphasis)
This sudden 'urgency' for peace on the part of Olaf Scholtz is, acording to Burger and Rinke,
"Scholz is under pressure at home after all three parties in his centre-left coalition suffered painful losses in two regional state elections one week ago, while groups seeking better relations with Moscow won more votes.
Nationalist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) and new anti-establishment party BSW, who oppose military backing for Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion, both booked record gains. " (ibid Ludwig Burger and Andreas Rinke)
Putin is, no doubt, thanking his 'comrades in arms' in the former East Germany, where he was previously stationed as the KGB representative, for their unwavering support of his war against Ukraine.
But against this backgound Putin's war-anxiety continues to grow apace as :-
"The governor of Russia's southern Belgorod region said on Sunday Ukrainian forces attacked a fuel depot, triggering a series of fires after Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of launching overnight attacks on border regions." (NDTV: 9 September 2024) (my emphasis)
"Ukraine is building weapons underground to supply the military with arms in the event of delays in military aid from abroad, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the Ambrosetti International Economic Forum in Italy on Sept. 7.
"We are building underground facilities for the production of weapons so that Ukrainian soldiers can defend themselves even when supplies from our partners are delayed," Zelensky said." (Kyiv Independent on Yahoo News: 8 September 2024)
Zelenskyy and Meloni discussed Ukraine's immediate needs before winter, with Meloni emphasizing continued support as vital for Italy's national interest and global stability.(Sertac Aktan: Euro News: 7 September 2024) (my emphasis)
"Ukraine’s Kursk offensive has dented Vladimir Putin’s war narrative and triggered “questions” among the Russian elite about the point of the war, two of the world’s leading spy chiefs have said.
CIA director Bill Burns said Kursk was “a significant tactical achievement” that had boosted Ukrainian morale and exposed Russia’s weaknesses. It has “raised questions . . . across the Russian elite about where is this all headed”, he said. (Financial Times: 7 September 2024) (my emphasis)
"Russian drones have breached Nato airspace as Vladimir Putin’s forces targeted Ukraine in an “irresponsible” overnight attack. Romania scrambled F-16 fighter jets to monitor the drones, which were detected in the early hours of Sunday morning while Latvia shared photos of a crashed drone in its eastern region. ... Nato’s outgoing deputy secretary general Mircea Geoană said:
“While we have no information indicating an intentional attack by Russia against allies, these acts are irresponsible and potentially dangerous.” (Alexander Butler (left) and Arpan Rai (right): The Independent on Misrosoft Start: 9 September 2024) (my emphasis)
As Putin's 'siloviki' begin to question the deluded aims of Putin's war with Ukraine, and as the effects of the war on the Russian economy manifest themselves in rising Russian inflation,
"Vladimir Putin is facing more and more opposition in the Kremlin as oligarchs and politicians begin to voice anger over the war in Ukraine, an expert has said.
Historian and Russia expert Amy Knight (right) stated that,
"What I am saying is that a backdrop to any signs of discontent...the fact that there has been this [Russian] reshuffle means not all is running smoothly.
"Then Oleg Deripaska, one of the richest Russian oligarchs, all of a sudden he is in Japan and does an interview saying this should stop immediately and it is madness.
"Russian experts are saying that Deripaska would not be saying this if other influential people didn't agree with him." (Express: 8 September 2024) (my emphasis)
And now Putin is also trapped by Zelensky and Scholtz who stated that Russia be included in 'peace talks'.
The 'peace flag', it would seem, is no longer being simply gingerly held in Putin's hand.
On the horizon autumn is beginning to raise its head as,
"Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said two drones were shot down in the area of the Moscow Oil Refinery. No casualties were reported, but the second downed drone damaged a technical building at the refinery and caused a fire, which the mayor said had been localized and did not affect the plant’s operation.
The Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged the size of the Ukrainian attack, but downplayed its effectiveness, saying Sunday that 158 Ukrainian UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) “were destroyed and intercepted by on-duty air defense” overnight in 15 regions, including over the capital." (Brad Lendon(left): CNN on Microsoft Start: 2 September 2024) (my emphasis)
"Ukraine's drone offensive comes after a week of massive missile and drone attacks from Russia, which led to the loss of one of Ukraine's U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets. ... On Friday, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, presented top U.S. officials with potential targets in Russia during a trip in Washington, on the heels of Kyiv's surprise incursion into Russia's Kursk region in August." (Politico: 1 September 2024) (my emphasis)
It therefore comes as no surprise that Sergey Lavrov (right), that 'dyed-in-the-wool' Soviet Foreign Minister of Putin, is scraping the bottom of the political Soviet rhetoric to try to exonerate Putin from his war in Ukraine, besides his 'weird' pronouncements to the people of Russia on Russian TV (RT) about the war in the Middle East.
Yet just a few days ago, as reported by Kate Nicholson(left),
"Vladimir Putin’s foreign minister has claimed Russia was “ready” for peace talks before Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Sergei Lavrov said the chances of negotiating a deal with Ukraine had been “ruined and sabotaged” when Kyiv turned the tables on Moscow three weeks ago and breached Russian borders. ... “Our readiness for talks was beyond anyone’s doubt, although, of course, after the reckless move in the Kursk region, any discussion of this subject is no longer relevant.” (Huffington Post: 30 August 2024) (my emphasis)
Lavrov's 'scraping the bottom of the Russian political barrel' merely reflects what is happening to Putin's sanity asscrambled thoughts tumble around his turmoiled 'political' mind in his over-protected nuclear bunker.
"Some do it for the money; others for the motherland. Still others because they “just don’t have anything else to do.”
Whatever their motivation, an unknown number of Siberia’s homeless have signed contracts to fight in Ukraine, just as Moscow, seeking to avoid another politically fraught mobilization, struggles to meet its manpower needs, which have now been boosted by a three-week-long Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region. ... .. sources tell RFE/RL’s Siberia.Realities, officials have been actively seeking new soldiers in homeless shelters across Siberia and the Far East." (RFERL: 2 September 2024) (my emphasis)
Now that the Russian people are beginning to experience missiles raining down upon them, just as Putin in raining missiles down upon innocent Ukrainians, Putin is, indeed, at his most dangerous as the noose is now more rapidly tightening around his neck.
UPDATE: 4 September 2024
In 2014, after invading and annexing Ukraine's Crimea, historian Alexander Motyl penned the following about Putin as the West watched on,
"Now six days ago, (25th July 2014) Alexander J. Motyl (left) posed the following question:
" Is
Putin evil? His actions certainly are, if by evil we understand
behavior that willfully, consciously and purposely destroys human life. Perhaps we can call his actions undeniably evil and Putin himself "evil enough." Evil enough for what? Evil enough for condemnation by people of good will." (CNN : 25 July 2014) (my emphasis)
Fast forward to 2024 and, as he Telegraph reports,
"At least 51 people died when two Russian ballistic missiles hit a military academy in the central Ukrainian city of Poltava, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said a military building had been “partially destroyed”, leaving people “under the rubble”.
The attack was one of the deadliest since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in Feb 2022. Filip Pronin, Poltava’s regional governor, said on Monday afternoon that more than 200 people injured and the death toll could still rise." (The Telegraph: 4 September 2024) (my emphasis)
And whilst Putin was raining death upon hundreds of Ukrainian men, women, and children, Elena Giordano informs us that,
"Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Russian students about the dangers of vaping on Monday, saying that electronic cigarettes harm reproductive function and can lead to infertility. ... The Russian leader was holding an open lesson entitled "Conversation about important things” at the school in Russia's southern Siberian Republic of Tyva, which opened its doors for the first time on Monday." (Politico: 2 Sepember2024) (my emphasis)
Furthermore, as reported by Newsweek, Putin stated that,
"I am sure that this provocation will fail as well. It seems to me there will be a desire to really, not in words but in deeds, move on to peace negotiations and resolve these issues by peaceful means. We have never given up on this, but we must, of course, deal with these bandits who have entered the territory of the Russian Federation," Putin said.
Putin's recent comments on negotiations sharply contrast with his initial response to Ukraine's invasion of the Kursk region.(Newsweek: 2 September 2024) (my emphasis)
Let us be reminde of the words of Alexander Motyl in 2014 viz.
"Is
Putin evil? His actions certainly are, if by evil we understand
behavior that willfully, consciously and purposely destroys human life."
It is interesting to note that there is now a panicked scramble by Putin to his 'bosom' friends in Chechnya and China as the powerful and successful Ukrainian counter-offensive in the Russian Kursk and Belgorad oblasts continue to pummel Putin's forces.
"Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday made an unscheduled trip to Chechnya, a mainly Muslim republic within the Russian Federation, his first visit in nearly 13 years, as Ukraine’s stunning cross-border incursion into western Russia entered its third week." (AP: 21 August 2024) (my emphasis)
"Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese premier Li Qiang Wednesday, hailing growing trade relations as Moscow becomes increasingly dependent on Beijing for political and economic support. .... “Chinese-Russian relations are at an unprecedentedly high level,” said Li, who earlier had met with his Russian counterpart, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
The meeting took place as Russia struggled to push back a Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region now in its third week. And overnight, Moscow experienced one of the largest waves of drone attacks on the Russian capital since the start of the Ukraine conflict." (AP: 22 August 2024) (my emphasis)
"Ukraine reported on Wednesday the destruction of Russian pontoon bridges in Kursk region using U.S.-made weapons, a strategic move amidst their ongoing incursion into the area." (Devdiscourse: 21 August 2024) (my emphasis)
"Ukraine launched a huge drone attack on a major Russian airfield in the Volgograd region in the early hours of Thursday morning. ... Ukraine has stepped up its aerial bombardment of Russia in recent weeks and months, as it seeks to disrupt Russia's war machine.
Oil refineries, airfields, air defence systems and ammunition warehouses have been remorselessly targeted in a carefully calibrated campaign." (Daily Express: 22 August 2024) (my emphasis)
More significantly, however, countering Putin's mouthpieces blustering about the use of 'nuclear' weapons, US Presidentn Biden has,
"President Joe Biden (left) has quietly approved a new US nuclear strategy focusing on China’s rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal earlier this year, a new report has revealed.
The Nuclear Employment Guidance (NEG) is designed to prepare the US for potential nuclear confrontations with Russia, China, and North Korea, The New York Times reported. The strategy takes into account the rapid expansion of China’s nuclear arsenal and ongoing threats from Russia, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine, the report said." (Maroosha Muzaffar: The Independent: 21 Augist 2024) (my emphasis)
Which rather puts into perspective Putin's mouthpiece, Dmitry Medvedev, once again 'indirectly' threatening to use nuclear weapons in Putin's war with Ukraine.
As Guy Faulconbridge(right) writes, "Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk region means there will be no talks between Moscow and Kyiv until Ukraine is completely defeated on the battlefield, Dmitry Medvedev (below: left), deputy head of Russia's Security Council, said on Wednesday. ...
"They understand that there will be NO NEGOTIATIONS UNTIL THE ENEMY IS COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY DESTROYED!" (Reuters: 21 August 2024) (my emphasis)
One merely has to listen to the rantings of Stanislav Krapivnik on Russian TV to gain an insight into the 'apocalyptic' mindset of Dmitry Medvedev.
The continuing counter-attack by Ukraine against Putin's forces, on Russian soil, is beginning to reach a 'near' crescendo in the political ears of Putin.
Desperately scambling to the few friends that he still has on the international political scene, such as Ramzan Kadyrov of Chechnya, Xi Jin Ping of China, and Kim Jon Un of North Korea, Putin now knows that his 'nuclear war' threats are falling on deaf ears.
How much longer before he gingerly raises the flag of peace?
UPDATE : 24 August 2024
Trying to keep pace with the ongoing and current developments in the Ukraine-Russia war is like running after a tornado that keeps changing direction.
"Olga Skabeyeva, one of the leading pro-Putin voices on Russian state TV, suggested Russia was prepared to unleash nuclear strikes if the incursion continued." (Express: 23 August 2024) (my emphasis),
whilst,
"Sergei Chemezov, the head of the Russian state corporation which supplies Moscow with many of its arms for the war, Rostec, told Reuters news agency that the country “feels confident” at the prospect of a wider conflict" (Kate Nicholson (right): Huff Post: 21 August 2024) (my emphasis),
and Putin is proclaiming that,
"But Chemezov is not the only person boasting about Russia’s abilities recently – Putin just told some of his troops that “we are absolutely, absolutely invincible”(Kate Nicholson: Huff Post: 21 August 2024) (my emphasis).
"Russian locals in a Siberian town are having to raise money to buy body bags for their soldiers, according to reports.
"So many Russian soldiers have been killed in the Irkutsk region that the local authorities have run out of money to transport them back to their relatives.
"Local people are now having to crowdfund for body bags and the transportation of corpses." (Express: 23 August 2024) (my emphasis)
"Russia's failure to stop a Ukrainian invasion of Kursk has exposed Vladimir Putin's fragile grip on the country, it has been claimed.
Western officials warned the surprise incursion, more than two and a half weeks ago, has "undermined" the Kremlin propaganda narrative that claimed a "Russian victory was inevitable". (Express: 24 August 2024) (my emphasis)
All of this comes against the background of :-
The United States has announced a new round of military assistance to Ukraine, following a phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Joe Biden. (Al Jazeera: 23 August 2024) (my emphasis) (cf. also: Joshua Posaner: Politico: 24 August 2024)
Ukraine struck another huge blow against Russia's navy on Thursday after destroying and sinking a train ferry used to transport military equipment to Crimea." (John Varga: Express: 23 August 2024) (my emphasis)
"Ukraine has launched another drone strike on an oil depot that has already been burning for six days in Russia's Rostov region, and Russians fear the blaze could reach nearby kerosene reservoirs, triggering a much larger explosion." (Newsweek: 23 August 2024) (my emphasis)
Like a raging tornado, Putin's currrent war in Ukraine is reaching a 'near' crescendo in his political ears.
Indeed, Putin is downplaying Ukraine's attacks in the Kursk and Belgorad Russian oblasts purely as a "large-scale provocation".
"Russia’s propagandists are taking their lead from Putin himself. The Kremlin dictator has remained remarkably tight-lipped over Ukraine’s invasion, and has limited himself to only a handful of public statements. Notably, there have been no attempts to rally the Russian people against the invader or engage in the kind of historical grandstanding that Putin normally favors. On the contrary, he has opted for a strikingly understated approach. Putin initially branded the invasion a “large-scale provocation,” and has since compared the advancing Ukrainian army to “terrorists.” " (Atlantic Council: 21 August 2024) (my emphasis)
Yet another indication exposing Vladimir Putin's fragile grip on the country.
The dust is beginning to settle on the shifting of the international 'political' tectonic plates over the spectacular and devastating advances of the army of Ukraine into Russia's Kursk and Belograd oblasts.
"Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right)will visit Ukraine, the Indian foreign ministry said on Monday, his first trip to the war-torn country since its conflict with Russia and about a month after he met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow." (Reuters: 19 August 2024) (my emphasis)
"New Delhi is seeking to deepen its relationship with the West while keeping ties intact with old friend Russia."
This sudden Indian development comes on the heels of the army of Ukraine consolidating its position in the Kursk and Belgorad Russian oblasts, and Putin raging at his generals for allowing the Ukrainian army to enter and overwhelm Russian towns and villages as evidenced by the blowing up of the second Kursk bridge.
"Volodymyr Zelensky is asking his closest allies to help Ukraine with more logistics for promised ammunition as he presented a nightly update on the frontline actions. ..... He added: “However, when it comes to supplies from our partners, we need things to speed up. There are no holidays in war. We need decisions—we need timely logistics for the promised aid packages. I’m specifically addressing the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.” (The Independent on Microsoft Start: 19 August 2024) (my emphasis)
"The UK is still considering granting permission to Ukraine to use its long range Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory, i has learned. ... UK defence sources dismissed reports over the weekend that suggested the US has delayed permission for Kyiv to use the British-donated long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia, following a request from Keir Starmer to President Joe Biden to approve the move. ... Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources also stressed that the Government does not comment on the operational detail of specific equipment, but added that Ukraine does have a legal right to defend itself by attacking Russian territory under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter." (inews on Microsoft Start: 18 August 2024) (my emphasis)
"European defense contractors traded sharply lower on Monday after a report Germany would stop providing new military aid to Ukraine.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, citing internal documents and letters from Finance Minister Christian Lindner, said Berlin will continue to provide previously approved assistance, and future aid will come from proceeds on frozen Russian assets." (Market Watch: 19 August 2024) (my emphasis)
And once again Putin, via his Belarus puppet Lukashenko, is threatening 'nuclear war' by invoking the Putin mantra about NATO involvement in his war with Ukraine.
"Belarus leader Aleksandr Lukashenko has again warned of nuclear war and has deployed troops along the length of his country’s border with Ukraine. (left: Lukashenko and Putin)
He has regularly suggested that WW3 could be triggered if Ukraine’s western allies becoming even more embroiled in Ukraine’s battle against Russia. ... "If they send NATO troops [to Ukraine], this will start WW3." (London Evening Standard: 18 August 2024) (my emphasis)
"It must be made clear, even to the most timid leaders in Europe, that the nuclear option is not actually available to Putin. The West both can and should remove the shackles it has put on Ukraine and allow that bold nation to fight with its hands free, using its Western weaponry to its full range and capability.
This decisive action by Ukraine is an opportunity for Starmer and his new team to make decisions that could hasten peace in Eastern Europe." (The Telegraph on Yahoo News: 15 August 2024) (my emphasis)
As his troops flounder in Kursk and Belgorad, the noose is now rapidly tightening around the neck of Putin.
The worlds' airwaves, internet, and media outlets are awash with an avalance of "total surprise" at the advancement of Ukrainian troops onto the soil of Russia.
'Armchair' generals throughout the world are frantically scurrying to glean exactly what has happened to Putin, as they are also trying to 'read the tea-leaves' in the wake of the Ukranian army's advance into Russias' Kursk and Belgorad regions of Russia.
"The current diplomatic actions and political statements coming
from the EU, UK, US, and international politicians, as Putin now falters if his demands to turn Ukraine into a vassal state of Russia are not met, now changes Harold Wilson's famous phrase into, "An hour is a long time in politics". (blog entry: 5th August 2024)
One simply cannot keep pace with the critical events unfolding in Kursk and Belgorad.
Russian popagandists are twisting themselves into 'political' pretzels trying to 'logically' respond to Ukraine's swift advances into Russia's Kursk and Belgorad oblasts.
As interviewed on Radio Times, Sergei Markov (left), political scientist at Moscow University and former adviser to President Putin has to admit that,
"If Russia does not respect the border of Ukraine, Ukraine will not respect the border of Russia. This is understandable by most of the people" (cf video below) Further in the interview he goes on to say that,
"Any peace agreement should take the reality on the land [i.e. the land that Russia invaded, stole, and annexed, from Ukraine]
"Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said people from Krasnaya Yaruga district were being evacuated.
The region remains under a missile alert, and people are being urged to shelter in their basements.
Again and again, the Kremlin’s mouthpieces have repeatedly insisted that Russia has the situation under control, but judging from Ukraine’s advances – verified by geo-located footage – this is not the case" (Metro on Microsoft Start: 12 August 2024) (my emphasis)
"Vladimir Putin has appointed Aleksey Dyumin, a former Kremlin agent, to take charge of defense in the Kursk region, seemingly replacing his army chief Valery Gerasimov's duties in the area, according to an official and multiple Russian pro-war military bloggers. ... Reports of the appointment of Kremlin aide Dyumin—President Putin's former bodyguard and governor of the Tula region—came as Gerasimov was reported to be under fireafter seemingly dismissing intelligence warnings that Kyiv's forces were preparing to launch an armored assault into Kursk, which borders Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region." (Newsweek: 13 August 2024) (my emphasis)
We have to ask ourselves whether Putin's 'siloviki' itself is in near total dissarray given that the head of Putin's army has been fired.
According to exiled Russian YouTube blogger, Inside Russia, Gerasimov has been replaced by Bortnikov of the FSB.
This, he believes, is Putin signing his own death warrant.
