Russian President Vladimir Putin has purportedly promoted dozens of high-ranking military officers following the deaths of multiple generals in the Russia-Ukraine war.
At least seven Russian generals have been killed since Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. While Moscow has generally been tight-lipped about the losses of its officers and infantry during the war, a Russian official said earlier this week that the latest general to lose his life, Major General Vladimir Zavadsky, had been killed in Ukraine late last month.
Anton Gerashchenko, adviser for the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, claimed on Wednesday in a post to X, formerly Twitter, that Putin had promoted 67 officers to the rank of general in response to the deaths. Gerashchenko also said that as many as 12 Russian generals had been killed, while “over 1,300 generals” were serving in Putin’s army.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is pictured shaking the hand of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a ceremony with top officers in Moscow on April 11, 2019. Putin purportedly promoted 67 officers to the rank of general recently after several generals were killed during Russia’s war with Ukraine.
ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/AFP
“Putin issued a decree awarding general ranks to 67 top officers of the Russian Armed Forces and security agencies,” Gerashchenko wrote. “As of 2023, there are more than 1,300 generals in the Russian Federation … 12 generals were killed in Ukraine during the ‘special military operation.'”
“Timely receiving of the next ranks is one of the ‘staples’ that keeps the military and law enforcers loyal to the regime,” he added. “This practice has nothing to do with any results. Increasing the number of generals is an additional burden on the budget: generals’ salaries and pensions, provision, and maintenance.”
Gerashchenko said that over 100 “new generals appeared in Russia” during the Ukraine war, while pointing out that there was “no information about the retirement of generals in the public domain” and that General “Armageddon” Sergei Surovikin, former commander of Moscow’s forces in Ukraine, had been fired by Putin.
Putin issued a decree awarding general ranks to 67 top officers of the Russian Armed Forces and security agencies.
▪ As of 2023, there are more than 1,300 generals in the Russian Federation.
▪ 12 generals were killed in Ukraine during the “special military operation”.
1.… pic.twitter.com/HfGRMyHpzw
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) December 6, 2023
Newsweek reached out for comment to the Russian Ministry of Defense via email on Wednesday.
In June, months before the death of Zavadsky, independent Russian-language media outlet Mediazona reported at least four Russian generals, 58 colonels and 176 lieutenant colonels had been killed in Ukraine.
Days later, Mediazona and BBC Russian Service reported that an additional Russian general, two colonels and three lieutenant colonels had lost their lives. The death of Russian Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov was reported in July.
The identity of the five other generals that Gerashchenko is claiming were killed in Ukraine is unknown. Newsweek has not independently verified his remarks.
The Ukrainian military claims that over 335,000 members of the Russian military have been killed since the beginning of the war. Moscow rarely releases figures of its own casualties, while accurate casualty counts are notoriously difficult to obtain during any war.
In October, the U.K. Ministry of Defense estimated that Russia had “likely” suffered up to 290,000 casualties during the war, including troops “temporarily wounded” but not including any casualties suffered by the private Wagner Group mercenary organization.
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