Russian military leadership shake-up: Lieutenant General Sergey Kisel relieved of duties in Syria
Lieutenant General Sergey Kisel, the commander of Russian forces in Syria, has reportedly been relieved of his duties, according to the war correspondent Rybar and other Russian war channels.
There is no official confirmation of this information yet. Z-sources suggest that Colonel General Chaiko may have replaced him. Kisel was previously assigned to Syria following the failure of the 1st Guards Tank Army in the initial phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian channels are criticizing not only Kisel but also the practice of sending generals to Syria after they were removed from their positions due to failures in Ukraine. Rybar, for instance, argues that the approach to appointing commanders needs to change, referring to Syria as a "sandbox" for rehabilitating unsuccessful generals who were deemed incompetent in Ukraine war.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate also reported that Russia has appointed General Alexander Chaiko to lead its forces in Syria, amid growing challenges on the battlefield.
The Ukrainian Intelligence Directorate states, "Facing both losses and growing panic among Russian troops in Syria, the Kremlin has dismissed its commander in the Arab Republic, General Sergey Kisel." Kisel previously faced removal due to failures during Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine and was subsequently deployed to Syria.
Additionally, Russian Navy Commander Admiral Alexander Moiseyev has reportedly been spotted at the naval base in Tartus.
"Following three days of successful offensives by pro-Turkish forces in Syria, Russian troops have suffered significant casualties, with some units being entirely surrounded. Hundreds of Russian troops have been reported missing in Syria," the intelligence agency added.
Back in May 2022, the UK Ministry of Defense reported, citing intelligence data, that several Russian commanders were dismissed or suspended for poor performance in the early stages of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Among them was Lieutenant General Sergey Kisel, who was removed due to the failure to capture Kharkiv.