Russian General Who Served in Ukraine Dismissed from Military Service

Russian media outlet RBC, citing an unnamed source, reported on Sunday that Colonel General Alexander Lapin, a senior commander who served in the early stages of the war in Ukraine, has been dismissed from military service.

According to the local news agency Tatar-Inform, the 61-year-old general will be appointed as an aide to the head of Tatarstan, where he will be responsible for supporting veterans and their families.

In 2022, Lapin commanded Russia’s Central Military District and later led the “Center” group in Ukraine. He came under criticism from Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov after Russian forces withdrew from the Ukrainian city of Lyman.

Lapin was subsequently appointed head of the Leningrad Military District, where he also led the “North” group operating in Ukraine and along the Ukrainian border. In August of this year, he was replaced by Colonel General Yevgeny Nikiforov.