Commander of Russia's Central Military District Aleksandr Lapin has been replaced, Moscow Times reported, citing sources in the Russian Defense Ministry. The reason is unknown. It's also not clear who will replace Lapin and what role he will take on next.
Yevgenii Prigozhin, Wagner Group founder, and Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov have criticized Lapin for the way he commanded Russian troops in Ukraine. In particular, he was blamed for the withdrawal of Russian forces from Lyman.
Lyman is a key logistic hub in Donetsk Oblast and the "gate" to the occupied Luhansk Oblast. On Oct. 1, Ukrainian forces liberated the city, which had been occupied since May.
Colonel General Alexander Lapin, 58, had been the commander of the Central Military District since 2017. He was among those who planned Russia's operations in Ukraine's Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv oblasts. These three regions are now liberated from the Russian forces.
