President Putin relieved six generals of their posts yesterday, the Kremlin said, portraying the sackings as a routine command rotation.
The six ousted commanders are Col-Gen Stanislav Petrov, head of nuclear, chemical and biological forces; Col-Gen Boris Dukhov, head of anti-missile defence; Maj-Gen Anatoly Shatalov, head of the Defence Ministry press service; Col-Gen Anatoly Sitnov, head of the armed forces armaments division; artillery chief Gen Nikolai Karaulov; and Lieut-Gen Alexander Zobnin.