Deputy Gurulev
published an audio statement by the suspended commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces, Major General Ivan Popov, to his soldiers.
"Good night, my beloved Gladiators, loved ones, relatives, one family. I had to gather my thoughts, a lot of events happened in the last two days. Now we can say it with certainty.
I've been removed from my post. Here, I am waiting for my future military fate, its changes, some proposal for further service.
I've been honest with you from the very beginning. I have been frank with you. I have shortened distances with all gladiators from a soldier to a marshal in our case. Because the same, the same, all are afraid, the same, all are painful and hard. ...was always honest, as much as possible from the first day of arrival in our army. That's why I'm telling you honestly, there was a difficult situation with the senior commanders, when I had to either keep silent out of cowardice, and say what they wanted to hear, or call things by their names.
I had no right to lie in the name of you, in the name of all our friends who died in combat, so I outlined all the problematic issues that exist today in the army. I called all the things by their names and drew attention to them. On the most important tragedy of modern warfare.
This is the lack of counter-battery combat, reconnaissance and the mass of death of our brothers. from enemy artillery. Also raised a number of other problems. At the highest level frankly, extremely tough.
With this, apparently, the senior chiefs felt the danger of something and promptly for one day light, made up an order of the Minister of Defense, got rid of.
As many commanders of regiments, divisions said today, our army could not be penetrated from the front. We were hit from the rear by our senior chief, treacherously and meanly, decapitating the army at the most difficult and tense moment.
I stay in touch constantly for all soldiers and NCOs, warrant officers of the army for all absolutely 24/7 any problems, domestic, family, rear, combat, any absolutely problems. We continue to work in a group. I am available to you all the time. I am honored to stand in the same formation with you. I am proud, dear and will do everything in my power even more to make it easier for you to fight and to keep as many of our fighting comrades alive as possible. Most importantly, it is in the name of those who will never return from the battlefields. In the name of their memory in the name of the spilled blood of soldiers and officers on Zaporizhzhya
We are obliged with you to defeat the enemy, to repel his offensive, to create conditions for further actions. And thus honor the memory of our fallen comrades always with you always in touch with your Spartacus".
