Russia removes two top generals after “meat-grinder” assault on Dobropillia
Russia has removed two senior military commanders following the failure to achieve operational success on the Pokrovsk axis. Lieutenant General Sukhrab Akhmedov, commander of Russia’s 20th Army, and Lieutenant General Sergey Milchakov, commander of the 51st Combined Arms Army, have both been relieved of their posts.
The information was reported by the Azov Brigade of Ukraine’s National Guard and also covered by The Insider. The dismissals reportedly stem from the unsuccessful December offensive towards Dobropillia, during which a large mechanised column of Russian naval infantry was completely destroyed by Ukrainian forces, resulting in catastrophic losses of personnel and armoured vehicles.
Criticism of Akhmedov had been widespread even among Russian pro-war bloggers, who accused him of chronic incompetence and the senseless loss of soldiers. The general has previously been involved in several high-profile scandals. In May 2024, he was blamed for the deaths of Russian troops near Kreminna, who reportedly stood in formation for two hours awaiting his arrival before coming under Ukrainian fire. Akhmedov has also been linked to failed assaults on Vuhledar and Pavlivka—episodes that did not prevent him from receiving the title of Hero of Russia in July 2025.
The removal of the two top commanders points to a deepening crisis in the command and control of Russian occupation forces. Despite repeated mass infantry and mechanised assaults involving dozens of armoured vehicles, Russian troops have failed to break through Ukrainian defensive lines.
According to fighters from the Azov Brigade, the only tangible result of Akhmedov’s and Milchakov’s actions was the depletion of Russia’s own reserves without securing any territorial gains. Despite state awards and high ranks, the Kremlin was forced into personnel purges amid growing internal dissatisfaction and clear battlefield failures in the Donetsk region.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that since the start of the counter-offensive operation near Dobropillia, total Russian losses have exceeded 12,000 personnel, including 7,200 irreversible losses.
Meanwhile, Russian occupation forces continue offensive operations in Donetsk Oblast. According to DeepState, Russian troops have advanced in the areas of Fedorivka and Novomarkove in the Bakhmut and Kramatorsk districts. An updated map of the advances has been published by the monitoring group.
