Several Russian sources reported on July 15 that the Russian military leadership dismissed Major General Vladimir Seliverstov, a 106th Guards Airborne division commander.
The Institute for the Study of War said in their latest assessment that the reason for Seliverstov’s dismissal is currently unknown but Russian sources speculated that it could be "associated with Seliverstov’s reputation for speaking up on behalf of his soldiers."
Russian sources claimed that the 106th Guards Airborne (VDV) Division has been operating in the Bakhmut area since January, and ISW has recently observed the 106th VDV Division’s 137th Guards VDV Regiment defending against Ukrainian counteroffensive operations on Bakhmut’s northern flank.
A Russian military blogger has claimed that elements of the 106th VDV Division are also supporting Russian defensive operations south of Bakhmut.
Relatives of mobilized personnel serving in the 137th VDV Regiment appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials about poor conditions and lack of supplies in the unit.
"Vocal discontent about conditions in areas where Russian forces are defending against Ukrainian counteroffensive operations may have prompted Seliverstov to appeal to the Russian military command, which may have contributed to his dismissal," the ISW said.
The ISW added that it has not observed confirmation of Seliverstov’s dismissal, but Russian reporting about the dismissal "follows a pattern similar to that of previous claims of command changes that have proven true."
Natalia Datskevych
