Putin can throw a disgraced former commander to reflect NATO threat - Neewsweek

The Russian media called Alexander Lapin the most likely candidate for the post of head of the commander of the Leningrad Military District, which borders with Finland, which recently entered the North Atlantic Alliance. Russian President Vladimir Putin may appoint Colonel-General Alexander Lapin by the commander of the Leningrad Military District, which runs along the Northeast NATO border. About it writes NEEWSWEEK. "It is reported by the Russian edition of URA.

ru with reference to an unnamed source in the" military circles "of Russia. The St. Petersburg edition of Fontanka reported that he was considered the most likely candidate for the post of commander of the Leningrad military district, but noted that he is not officially appointed. Newsweek appealed to the Russian Ministry of Defense by email, "the statement said. February military decrees signed by Putin provide for the reproduction of Moscow and Leningrad military districts.

This step has aroused interest in analytical circles, where it is considered to indicate a possible preparation for the Grand Difficulty War with NATO, the newspaper notes. The Leningrad Military District, located near Finland and the Baltic States, is an important part of the Russian Armed Forces, especially in the context of Russia's defense strategy in the western direction. The total border with Finland is almost 1300 km.

Before his possible appointment to a new position, Lapin held the post of commander of the Central Military District. He was also the chief of the country's ground staff. Lapin has attracted a lot of attention to the media because of the criticism expressed in its address by key Russian figures, including the leader of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov and the late owner of PEC "Wagner" Yevgeny Prigogin, for failure in the military field, in particular in Ukraine.

In November 2022, Kadyrov demanded changes in the team composition, calling Lapin "incompetent" after the retreat of Russian troops in the Donbass. Later, his resignation was announced by the pro -Kremlin media. In February 2024, Putin signed a decree on the reproduction of the Leningrad and Moscow military districts, which, according to American analysts at the Institute of War Study (ISW), testifies to the preparation for a potential war with NATO in the future, the newspaper said.

Recall that on May 24, 2023 a video with the Colonel-General of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Alexander Lapin appeared on the network, who allegedly managed the "special operation" from the expulsion of the Legion "Freedom of Russia" and "Russian Volunteer Corps" (RDC) from Belgorod region. According to the propagandists, Lapin personally managed the operation and was present at the scene. In the video, he commands Russian soldiers, pointing to them the direction of movement.