Ukraine war: Why Putin’s mistrust of generals is making his forces weaker

Published

2 years ago

July 22, 2023

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Ukraine’s counteroffensive is entering its seventh week and even the most ardent optimists admit that it is progressing slower than anticipated and Ukrainian forces have – as yet – failed to break through the established layered Russian defences.

But, Russia is also facing significant challenges.

Vladimir Putin is evidently struggling to re-establish command and control of Russia’s military forces following Yevgeny Prigozhin’s ill-fated rebellion.

Is the current turmoil in Russian senior military leadership a sideshow to the brutal frontline battles, or is Mr Putin’s house of cards on the brink of collapse?

Ukraine war latest

Credible warfighting capability is a blend of core ingredients.

Equipment is important, as is training, but the ability to “get people to fight” – the moral component of fighting power – is widely believed to be the most important.

The moral component is focused on morale, integrity, values, and legitimacy to ensure soldiers demonstrate physical and moral courage in the “face of mortal peril”.

Leadership – and followership – are central to the development of the moral component, and the West invests considerable time and resources across all ranks of its services to educate, nurture and mature these battle-winning skills.

Trust and confidence in military leaders, whether at a relatively junior rank or the most senior, enables commanders to articulate their intent, and empower those below to use their initiative, courage, and ultimately sacrifice, to achieve those aims.

But this is not the Russian modus-operandi.

In the Russian military, there is no empowerment – senior officers direct, and soldiers do.

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Infantry are seen as disposable – pawns in a brutal battle – and any latitude to “interpret” orders would provide potential justification for anarchy, which is a constant fear for the Russian military hierarchy. This creates animosity and contempt for command.

And following Prigozhin’s abortive rebellion, Mr Putin will not know which of his commanders he can trust, and which he should fear.

Mr Putin might have been expected to purge his senior military commanders to eliminate any enduring threat and serve as a clear lesson to those selected to replace them. However, his priority is to retain his grip on power, and he values loyalty over competence.

Replacing General Valery Gerasimov and Defence Secretary Sergei Shoigu might improve Russia’s operational effectiveness but would risk enemies closing in on Mr Putin’s seat of power.

Meanwhile, Mr Putin is working through his senior military commanders to flush out those who might have been complicit in the rebellion; General Sergey Surovikin (head of Russian aerospace forces) had a close relationship with Prigozhin, and it is no coincidence that he has not been seen since. One can only imagine his fate.

But even loyal generals are disposable, particularly if they seek to speak “truth to power”.

Major General Ivan Popov, who oversaw forces fighting in southern Ukraine, has apparently been relieved of his duties after speaking out about the problems faced by his troops.

Gen Popov was widely known for doing his best to avoid unnecessary losses – unlike many other commanders who were eager to sacrifice their soldiers to report successes.

Strong and decisive leadership is required if Russian success in Ukraine is to be achieved. Instead, a culture of suspicion and fear permeates all levels of the military – even into the Kremlin – as the ramifications of Prigozhin’s abortive rebellion continue to reverberate.

Russia’s “crisis of command” might not directly impact Russia’s immediate frontline defences, as soldiers there have no choice but to fight or be shot as deserters by their colleagues.

However, if Ukraine does manage to break through the Russian defensive line and the floodgates open, leadership shortcomings will be exposed, and Russian courage, bravery and initiative will be in very short supply.

But first, Ukraine needs a breakthrough. And soon!

World

Brutal murder on ‘date’ exposes robbery gang suspected of targeting dozens of women in South Africa

Published

10 hours ago

June 30, 2025

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Brutal murder on 'date' exposes robbery gang suspected of targeting dozens of women in South Africa

Thirty-year-old Olorato Mongale made sure to take all the measures necessary for a safe first date in South Africa’s biggest city, Johannesburg.

She had agreed to meet ‘John’ in the daytime. She sent her friends her phone location after leaving her house and promptly texted them “on the road” at 2.47pm.

They replied “enjoy!”, hoping she would find love.

An hour later, their friend had gone silent and her phone location was showing up in dangerous areas of the city.

A search party of seven friends set off to trace Olorato’s digital footsteps.

“It didn’t make sense. Where is she? Why is she missing?” says Karabo Mokoena, as we drove to the locations involved in their search.

“Every place we went to looked dodgier and dodgier. It made me panic – I was very scared.”

After finding her bag on a pile of bricks off the side of a main road, they filed a missing person report at a police station.

“I thought there was no way we were not going to find her. We did end up finding her but not in the way we would have hoped,” says Karabo.

Olorato’s body had been dumped at the dirt entrance of a random house less than 100m from where her friends were searching into the night.

Her face was swollen and her eyes black-blue from violent impact. Her top was ripped open to expose her breasts.

Police told Sky News that her post-mortem showed signs of blunt force trauma. She was likely beaten to death.

“It was like I was dreaming, seeing her body like that with those bruises and blood everywhere,” says Olorato’s mother, Keabetswe Poppy Mongale, describing the moment she had to identify her only child at the morgue.

“I don’t think what I saw will ever go away,” she adds.

“It was very painful. I don’t wish that on any parent because my beautiful little girl looked different because someone chose to do that to her.”

CCTV from the driveway of Olorato’s building shows the last time she was seen alive, leaving her home to meet ‘John’.

In the video, she walks towards a white Volkswagen Polo and hesitates as she reaches the left back door. John had come with a friend.

Four days after Olorato was killed, police found the car in a different province with traces of her blood splattered across the back seat.

Philangenkosi Sibongokuhle Makanya – ‘John’ – was shot dead by police in KwaZulu-Natal shortly after they found the vehicle.

The second man in the car, Bongani Mthimkhulu, is still on the run.

The two men have since been identified as part of a dangerous criminal syndicate that lure young women out on dates and rob them at gunpoint.

“Within the four days, the investigating officers received 94 calls from women who were raising concerns and identifying the suspects as those they once met,” South African Police Service deputy national commissioner Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili told Sky News.

“It was unfortunate about Olorato, but others were released after being robbed.”

A 24-year-old student who survived an armed robbery at the hands of Olorato’s suspected killers says she was happy to see Philangenkosi killed but she’s still scared for her life.

“As women, we are not even safe anymore – we can’t even walk freely,” she says.

“The moment you leave your house you wonder if you will make it back alive. I don’t feel comfortable walking around the street. I leave the house and then turn back.

“Even when I’m home, I still don’t feel safe and always want to keep myself locked indoors,” she says with a shaky voice – choosing to remain anonymous.

After meeting other victims of the syndicate, she was shocked to hear details of almost identical abductions.

“This other girl was surprised because we went through the exact same situation. They also approached her with the same tactic – let me take you out to lunch to get to know you – only for her to be robbed.”

South Africa has one of the highest femicide rates in the world – an average 15 women are killed a day, many by their intimate partners.

According to police statistics, more than 5,500 women were murdered in South Africa last year. An increase of 33.8% compared with the previous year.

“South Africa has six times the average rate of femicide – hundreds of women have already been killed since Olorato’s murder,” says Cameron Kasambala from Women for Change.

The advocacy group raises awareness of rising cases of femicide and gender-based violence across South Africa.

In the hours after her murder, Olorato’s friends contacted Women for Change to share her missing poster after receiving little immediate help from the local police station.

“I think her friends were the real heroes in that moment,” says Cameron.

“Two police stations that were 10 minutes apart, one finds a body and one has a missing case, don’t make a connection for hours. It’s not the most reassuring police work. And if the friends had not come forward, how long would it have taken?

“Unfortunately, Olorato’s case is an exception. Most cases are not handled that quickly.”

Olorato’s friends are still contending with the violence of her death – what it means for their daily lives and how they navigate their safety as women in South Africa.

“It is difficult to process and difficult to believe. This is somebody who ticked all the boxes when it came to being careful – being meticulous, checking her surroundings and leaving clues,” says Olorato’s friend, Koketso Sejosengoe.

“It shows it can happen to anybody no matter how safe you are. It is happening to the average girl. They are being targeted. These men know what they are doing and who they are looking for.”

“In the purest sense, Olorato wanted women to be safe and wanted women to be protected,” adds Koketso.

“I think she would be very proud to know that her name has not gone in vain and that her death is standing for something – that there will be change that comes with this.”

World

European heatwave leaves Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece in sweltering 40C heat

Published

10 hours ago

June 30, 2025

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European heatwave leaves Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece in sweltering 40C heat

Major heatwaves across southern Europe have left Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece in sweltering conditions of more than 40C (104F).

Two-thirds of Portugal was on high alert for extreme heat and risk of wildfires on Sunday, with temperatures in Lisbon expected to exceed 42C (107F).

In parts of southern Spain, temperatures are well above average, with 42C also expected in Seville and other cities.

The country’s meteorological service says June is likely to be the hottest Spain has experienced since records began.

In several Italian regions, including Lazio, Tuscany, Calabria, Puglia, and Umbria, outdoor work was banned during peak hours of sun on Sunday, with trade unions pushing for the measures to be extended and rolled out nationwide.

Twenty-one out of 27 cities were under the highest possible heat alert, including Rome, Milan, and Naples.

Greece has already been plagued by wildfires this summer, with one breaking out south of Athens on Thursday, and several on the island of Chios last Sunday.

Near Athens, authorities deployed 130 firefighters, 12 helicopters, and 12 planes, with 40 people evacuated from the highest-risk areas.

A woman was arrested on suspicion of unintentional arson after wildfires spread across brush and pastureland for three days on Chios.

Scientists link increasing frequencies of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, wildfires, and storms to climate change.

In France and Germany, at least three people died amid stormy conditions.

A ridge of high pressure above central and western Europe is driving the scorching conditions, says Sky News meteorologist Chris England.

Hotter-than-normal sea temperatures, dry land, and surface winds are also partly to blame, he added.

UK heatwave also likely

The UK is halfway through a four-day amber heat health alert, with temperatures expected to peak in the mid-30s (86F) on Tuesday.

Heat health alerts are not public weather warnings – but are instead designed to prepare health and social care bodies for the potential impact on their infrastructure and vulnerable groups.

Heatwave thresholds are likely to be met on Monday and Tuesday, which vary between 28C (82F) in the south of England and 25C (77F) across the rest of the country.

World

British-Israeli soldier killed while fighting in Gaza, reports say

Published

17 hours ago

June 29, 2025

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British-Israeli soldier killed while fighting in Gaza, reports say

A British-Israeli soldier has been killed while fighting in Gaza, Israeli media reports said.

He was named locally as Sergeant Yisrael Natan Rosenfeld, 20, from the city of Ra’anana.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it is “looking into reports that an IDF soldier who died in combat in Gaza is a British national”.

The IDF soldier, who served in the 601st Combat Engineering Battalion, was killed by an explosive device on Sunday, the Times of Israel reported.

The paper said Mr Rosenfeld moved to Israel from London with his family 11 years ago.

More than 860 Israeli soldiers have been killed since Israel’s war against Hamas began on 7 October 2023, more than 400 of them during the fighting in Gaza.

The war began when the militant group launched an attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has devastated the enclave and killed more than 56,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says more than half of the dead are women and children.

It came as Donald Trump called for progress in ceasefire talks in the war between Israel and Hamas.

“MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!” the US president wrote on social media on Sunday.