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Putin fires Russia’s defense minister, paralyzing the army

Europe • 11/08/12 9:14:57 pm • Views: 266

Russian Defence Chief Crossed Putin’s Political ‘Family’

Viktor Zubkov was the friend Russian President Vladimir Putin turned to when he wanted help blowing out his birthday candles 12 years ago.

At the time, Zubkov was an obscure tax man but had already forged the close relationship with Putin on which the political career of Russia’s defence minister may have foundered this week in a tale of alleged corruption, adultery and Kremlin rivalries.

By 2007, Zubkov had become prime minister and rising with him was Anatoly Serdyukov, whose appointment as defence minister the same year cannot have been hindered by his marriage to Zubkov’s only daughter Yulia.

Serdyukov, now 50, appears, however, to have made a politically fatal error by falling out with his patron after his marriage hit the rocks.

It was Serdyukov who, according to some Russian media, opened the door to police in his bathrobe and slippers when they launched an early-morning raid last month on the apartment of his 33-year-old female neighbour, one of his former employees.

3

Kremlin Rivalries President Vladimir Putin Russian Defence Chief Russia

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6 comments

1

researchok Fri, Nov 9, 2012 12:36:14am

Opening salvo?

2

jogiff Fri, Nov 9, 2012 2:48:16am

This is the perfect opportunity to invade Russia.

Quickly! While the iron is still hot!

3

Dark_Falcon Fri, Nov 9, 2012 5:20:24am

re: #1 researchok

Opening salvo?

Yes. Putin is making a major effort to deal with defense sector corruption and he's sacking officers and ministers who can't get things working or have their hands in the till. This firing is part of that effort.

4

Destro Fri, Nov 9, 2012 6:27:16am

re: #3 Dark_Falcon

Yes. Putin is making a major effort to deal with defense sector corruption and he's sacking officers and ministers who can't get things working or have their hands in the till. This firing is part of that effort.

I see it the same way. Does anyone follow the Russian military hazing controversies? Really bad scene.

5

Dark_Falcon Fri, Nov 9, 2012 9:03:26am

re: #4 Destro

I see it the same way. Does anyone follow the Russian military hazing controversies? Really bad scene.

I do. Putin's trying to get it stopped, but the problem of senior conscripts brutalizing junior ones has been endemic to the Russian Army since it was the Red Army. The latest idea is Military Police (MP) reform: The new Russian MP units are all-volunteer (the Russians call such personnel 'contract soldiers') units. They are designed to be able to investigate and prevent having and corruption.

The Russian MP units operate mostly at the company level, though they can work as whole battalions if they need to. As with the US Army, the battalions are grouped into brigades but the brigades are strictly administrative units. Russian MP brigades do differ from US MP brigades in one regard: Russian MP brigades have a company's worth of BTR wheeled APCs, allowing them to deploy a heavy weapons unit if need be.

6

Destro Fri, Nov 9, 2012 11:26:03am

re: #5 Dark_Falcon

You say the brutality goes back to the Red army, I have a feeling that it goes back to the Czarist army....

American military commentators have posited the theory that Russia's problem, at least since the Red Army days, is the lack of NCOs in the same role as NCOs serve in the US military.

Basically, in the Russian army from the Red era on to today you have officers then enlisted men and then the political officer who is both outside and inside the officers command - which Putin brought back but in a slightly different role - and then the enlisted men.

Whenever I have seem modern footage of Russian combat units in the Caucuses I see many go into combat without helmets on. That is a sign of lack of discipline, training and oversight.

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