The Russian Ministry of Defense showed a video with the Chief of the General Staff and the commander of the grouping of troops in the combat zone on the territory of Ukraine Valery Gerasimov.
“Valery Gerasimov set the task for the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate and officials of the command post of the joint group to organize systematic work to identify storage and preparation sites, as well as launch positions for S-200 missiles and similar strike weapons of the enemy, and plan their preemptive fire engagement,” it said. in a Defense Department statement.
It is alleged that the meeting took place after attempts to strike targets in the Crimea, Rostov and Kaluga regions on July 9.
Earlier, the British newspaper Daily Mail, citing its sources in Russia, wrote that Gerasimov had been removed from his duties.
According to the newspaper, after the rebellion of Yevgeny Prigozhin and the return of the commanders of the Azov regiment from Turkey to Ukraine, Gerasimov was allegedly replaced by Colonel General Mikhail Teplinskiy, commander of the Airborne Forces. The Daily Mail notes that Teplinskiy has actually led the actions of the Russian troops lately.