In fact, the general was removed from influence on the course of hostilities

General Alexander Lapin, who Ramzan Kadyrov and Yevgeny Prigozhin previously criticized, headed the main headquarters of the ground forces, a source in the Ministry of Defense told RBC.

In fact, the general was removed from influencing the course of hostilities, military expert Yan Matveev explained to Verstka.

“This is a removal from direct participation in the war. Formally, a promotion, but this is more of a bureaucratic position, not a military one. Such a quiete place where you can steal and not particularly to be seen,” said Matveev.

According to him, "officials" from the main headquarters do not have the levers of power in terms of military operations. “Rather in terms of purchasing bulletproof vests and pants for the mobilized,” the expert added.

Since November 2017, Lapin has been the commander of the Central Military District troops, and commanded the Center group of Russian forces. He was removed from his post in November after the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, accused the general of surrendering Lyman. Then the position of Kadyrov was supported by the founder of PMC Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin. At the same time, in July, President Vladimir Putin awarded Lapin with the title of Hero of Russia.

The main headquarters of the ground forces rarely appears in the reports of the Ministry of Defense compared to other structures. Since the beginning of the war, the headquarters has been mentioned nine times in the news on the agency's website. Almost all reports relate to solemn and memorial events, where representatives of the headquarters participated. There is not a single mention of the headquarters in connection with military operations in Ukraine on the website of the Ministry of Defense.