Seraphimovsko Cemetery in St. Petersburg. Thousands of people killed in World War II lie in this famous cemetery in Russia. Major General Vladimir Frolov was buried in the same cemetery last month. Officers of his rank were buried there. Frolov was one of Russia’s top military officials killed in the Ukraine war. Alexander Beglov, the governor of St. Petersburg, paid his respects by attending the funeral of the Russian army officer.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A report in Russia’s independent newspaper The Moscow Times on Friday states that, sadly, attending such funerals is a “regular experience” for Beglov. He was also present at the funeral of another high-ranking Russian military official killed in Ukraine less than a week after Farolov was buried. Not only this, four days after Frolov’s death, Lieutenant Colonel Miras Basakov also left for the ‘last address’.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine. The number of senior Russian military officers killed since then is staggering.
The Moscow Times has spoken to several analysts about the massive Russian casualties in Ukraine. According to analysts, the extent of Russian military casualties has slowed the progress of Russia’s plans and military operations in Ukraine. In addition to this incident, the soldiers fighting on the battlefield have suffered a great mental blow. Pavel Luzhin, a neutral military analyst , told the Moscow Times : “Every general’s death makes the Russian military less effective.”
Twelve Russian generals have been killed in Ukraine so far. Frolov was one of them. The New York Times reported on Thursday that all 12 generals had died within two months of the start of the war, more than double the number of former Soviet generals killed in the 10-year military operation in Afghanistan.
Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky was among other high-ranking Russian military officials killed in Ukraine. Russian media reported his death last month. Two lieutenant generals, Yakov Rezantsev and Andrei Mordevichev, were also reported killed. Ukraine claims they were killed at Chornobayvka airport near the Russian-occupied city of Kherson.
Moscow, however, has objected to reports that several Russian military officers have been killed. Russia’s state-run Channel One broadcasts Mordevichev’s death as “another fabrication.”
However, analysts say that whatever the actual death toll, any loss to Russia’s top official in the war is enough to disrupt the war. And that is what is happening in Ukraine.
According to experts, the loss will make the Kremlin think more deeply about the war. This is because the Russian forces are struggling to make significant progress in eastern Ukraine after they made a mess of trying to take control of the Ukrainian capital.
“It could take days or even weeks to fill the void left by the (Russian) army officers,” said Luzhin, a Russian military analyst.
However, it will not be easy to fill the void left by the slain generals. Because, new commanders need to be prepared for the battlefield, build relationships with subordinates and understand the whole military situation.
On Thursday, Western officials described Russia’s approach to the war in Ukraine as “cautious” and “unequal.” Analysts have speculated about the cause of death of so many senior Russian military officials on the battlefield. According to many experts, more frequent travel to the battlefield than to Western opponents could be a cause of death for Russian officials.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (right) and Army Chief Valery Gerasimov.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (right) and Army Chief Valery Gerasimov.Photo: Kremlin
Sam Crani-Evans, a military analyst at the Royal United Services Institute, a UK think tank, said: “If the generals don’t get the information, they can’t give it to the authorities. That’s why they went near the battlefield.
“Some of the slain generals are friends of President Putin, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu or Army Chief Valery Jerasimov,” he said. Which is not the case with the Western military. As a result, the Russian generals have taken on a very personal responsibility to ensure that everything goes well in the war. “
Zerasimov is the third highest ranking officer in the Russian army. According to US and Ukrainian officials, he also survived briefly last weekend. He went to the strategically important Ezium in Ukraine to find out the truth about one thing.
It was in this city that Russian Major General Andrei Simonov was killed by artillery fire fired by Ukrainian forces. The 55-year-old general was pronounced dead at the scene by Oleski Arestovich, a military adviser to the Ukrainian president.
It is wrong to think of the death of a general on the battlefield as the death of just one person. According to warlord Luzhin, the attack on the generals caused extensive damage. They (generals) work closely with colonels and majors. This means that if the generals die, the colonel and the officers will also die. ‘
Russia’s neutral media outlet Mediazona reported last month. At least 317 Russian officials were killed in the Ukraine war, one-third of them senior. Among them are Major, Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel.
According to analyst Krani-Evans, the death of senior military officers is not only a temporary loss, but in the long run it will affect the capabilities of the Russian army as a whole.
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