The commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Igor Ossipov, has been relieved of his post, according to information from the British secret services. This was announced by the British Ministry of Defense on Twitter on Thursday. The Black Sea Fleet lost its flagship “Moskva” in mid-April – according to the Ukrainian account, by being fired with two rockets.
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In addition, according to British information, the Russian Lieutenant General Sergei Kissel was replaced after unsuccessful attacks in the Kharkiv region. There was no confirmation of this from the Russian side.
The Ukrainian secret service recently reported on the alleged dismissal of the two high-ranking military officers. It was also noticed that Ossipov was absent from the May 9 military parade marking the 77th anniversary of the end of World War II in Sevastopol on the annexed Black Sea peninsula of Crimea.
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British intelligence estimates that many Russian military officials are increasingly preoccupied with denying responsibility for setbacks. “This will likely further increase the pressure on the centralized Russian command structures,” the statement said.
In addition, there are reports that the Russian army has already lost twelve high-ranking military personnel in combat. The New York Times reported in early May that the United States would provide the Ukrainian armed forces with targeted information about where generals had their command posts in the war zone. The defenders would then use this information for targeted attacks on the positions. The Russian war of aggression on the neighboring country has been going on since the end of February. (dpa)
