Kadyrov said he was not responsible for appointing people to the Russian Defense Ministry

Head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov in his Telegram channel declaredthat he does not appoint people to command positions in the Russian Ministry of Defense and does not remove them.

“Any appointment in the structure of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the network is beginning to be associated with my previous statements. Remember, friends, we follow orders, we don’t think about them. Any appointment as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, any order, any task – each of such decisions is supported by us. And this does not happen at the behest of the pike and my personal desire,” Kadyrov wrote.

The head of Chechnya also stressed that he and the Chechen officers have “well-coordinated relations” with the ministry without disagreements, and added that due to the fact that he has access to information about the course of the special operation, he has his own opinion, which he has to express.

On January 10, it became known that Colonel-General Alexander Lapin, who until October 2022 commanded the Center group of Russian troops in Ukraine, was appointed chief of the Main Staff of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces. About it wrote RBC, the Ura.ru agency and Izvestia, citing sources. On October 1, 2022, after the withdrawal of Russian troops from Krasny Liman, Kadyrov criticized the actions of Lapin, who, as the head of Chechnya claimed, did not provide the fighters in the Liman direction with “the necessary communications, interaction and the supply of ammunition.”

January 17 Ministry of Defense reportedthat Lieutenant General Andrey Mordvichev was appointed Commander of the Central Military District (CMD), Colonel General Sergey Kuzovlev – Commander of the Southern Military District, and Lieutenant General Yevgeny Nikiforov – Commander of the Western Military District.