Russia has already done it: fire the best generals because the fight in Ukraine is going smoothly. The same fate seems to befall Mizintsev as well. The deputy minister, who was previously in charge of the siege of the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, had to leave his post last weekend.
“What we see in general is that logistics operations have stagnated several times”
Officially no reason has been given for his departure, but Bosman assumes it is a sign that things are not going well for the Russian military logistically. These layoffs appear to come in waves. Last year in April, right after the start of the operation, we saw such a wave of layoffs. And now again.’
Stagnation
“We see that logistics operations have stagnated several times,” says Brigadier General Han Bouwmeester. “In recent days, the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has also repeatedly complained that he has not received a new supply of ammunition.”
According to Bouwmeester, also a professor of military operational sciences at the Dutch Defense Academy, none of this is in favor of the Russians in the impending Ukrainian offensive. “Of course this has a negative effect on Russian strength. Prove that there is no trust in the highest military.
Furthermore, according to Bouwmeester, it creates an atmosphere in which the commanders no longer want to make mistakes and are therefore not taking any risks. “While it is inherent in warfare that you have to take a risk now and then.”