Deputy Gurulev confirmed that Volodin invited him to a conversation after the resignation of General Popov

State Duma deputy Andrei Gurulev confirmed to the publication NEWS.ru information that the speaker of the lower house of parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, invited him to a conversation on July 18 because of the publication of an appeal by the commander of the 58th Army of the Southern Military District (SMD), Major General Ivan Popov.

In response to a journalist’s question about how the meeting went, Mr. Gurulev said: “I’m still alive.” He did not disclose other details of the conversation, noting that they were “not for general ears.”

The fact that Andrei Gurulev was summoned to Moscow for a conversation with Vyacheslav Volodin was reported on July 15 by the Telegram channel brief with reference to sources. By information channel interlocutors, the result of the conversation was a verbal reprimand against Mr. Gurulev.

On July 12, State Duma deputy and ex-deputy commander of the Southern Military District Andrey Gurulev published Ivan Popov’s voice message in his Telegram channel. In the message, the general said that he had reported to the military leadership about the main problems in the Russian army “in combat work, in support.” In particular, he announced heavy losses, the absence of counter-battery combat and the absence of rotation of units at the front. For this, according to the general, “senior commanders in one light day” drew up an order to remove him from service on behalf of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

July 13 First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council and Secretary of the General Council of United Russia Andrey Turchak criticized his fellow party member, Mr. Gurulev, for publishing the message of Mr. Popov. “The fact that “deputy” Gurulev somehow got him and made a political show out of it, let it remain on his conscience,” said Mr. Turchak.

Erdni Kagaltynov