Putin sends ‘best commander’ back to frontline in sign he wants war to continue
Vladimir Putin has sent a military chief who he detained on ‘trumped up charges’ back to the frontline as an assault commander to “crush” Ukraine.
Major-General Ivan ‘Spartacus’ Popov, 50, was sidelined and shut away after he savagely criticised the dictator’s high command in the war, including overall army chief General Valery Gerasimov. Popov is widely regarded as Russia ’s best military brain, and enjoys unprecedented popularity in the ranks, where he was nicknamed Spartacus.
His return is the latest sign that Putin is not planning for a ceasefire of peace talks, despite promises to Donald Trump. Popov was only allowed back to the war after making an unctuous personal appeal to Putin – “my moral guide and role model” – in which he promised his loyalty.
Putin “made me finally understand what the legendary words ‘cold mind, hot heart and clean hands’ mean”. Popov told Putin: “I have been subjected to unfounded prosecution and, contrary to my wishes, as well as the current situation in the [war] zone, I was dismissed from the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces.”
He pleaded with Putin to return him to duty, which happened today via a court decision. “I want to continue to crush the enemy in accordance with the oath I took,” Popov told Putin. His legal problems began after told his troops in 2023: “Our army could not be destroyed by the Ukrainian Army.
“Our own senior commander hit us from the rear. Treacherously and vilely decapitating the army at the most difficult and tense moment.” He told his ordinary soldiers: “I was honest with you from the start, I was always open with you, cutting the distance between soldier and general.
“Because we all die the same, we fight, struggle, feel fear and pain the same. So I am telling openly that I got into a hard situation with the senior army chief [Gerasimov].” He slammed the “mass death and mutilation of our brothers from the enemy’s artillery” and voiced his blunt criticism directly to Russia’s high command.
Initially he was removed from his command of the 58th Combined Arms Army by ex-defence minister Sergei Shoigu, before being sent to a command with Russian forces in Syria. Later he was detained and accused of large-scale corruption, charges widely seen as bogus.
He was initially held in custody then put under house arrest, but banned from taking walks. Forged documents were used to falsely accuse him of corruption, says his legal team. Popov will be right on the frontline and take charge of storm troopers comprising prisoners and those accused of serious crimes.
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