Vladimir Putin 'sacks' general 16 days after appointment following major losses

The Russian President is believed to have relieved Lieutenant General Roman Berdnikov of his duties amid reports that panicked Russian troops fled abandoning tanks, supplies and weapons

Lieutenant General Roman Berdnikov was appointed Commander of the Western Armed Forces on August 26, 2022, but Ukrainian intelligence said he has now been fired after just 16 days on the job (

Image: Vestnik Prigranichya/east2west news)

Vladimir Putin reportedly fired his top general in charge of the Russian invasion of Ukraine just 16 days after handing him the job, as Russian troops fled their positions.

Putin's forces suffered a crushing defeat in eastern Ukraine, losing large swaths of the country in a surprise Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The Russian president is believed to have relieved Lieutenant General Roman Berdnikov of his duties amid reports that panicked Russian troops have abandoned tanks, weapons and supplies.

Advancing Ukrainian soldiers report finding military uniforms thrown away by fleeing Russian soldiers who were trying to disguise themselves as civilians as they fled the combat zone in the Kharkiv Oblast region in northeastern eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian soldiers captured more than 1,000 square kilometers of territory in a matter of days in a blistering offensive that saw troops push within 30 kilometers of the Russian border.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is said to be furious at the rout of Russian troops in eastern Ukraine (

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