A Russian general who faced criticism following the loss of Lyman has been appointed deputy prime minister

Colonel General Alexander Lapin, former commander of the Russian “Center” and “North” military groups, has become deputy prime minister of Tatarstan. He will head a new department within the republic’s government that will provide support to participants in the war against Ukraine and their families.

For Lapin, this position is a continuation of the work he began after ending his military career. In September 2025, the general was discharged from military service. Before joining the Tatarstan government, he had already served as an aide to Minnikhanov, where he handled issues related to combatants, their families, and the recruitment of contract soldiers.

Prior to his appointment to a civilian position, Lapin held several important command posts. At the same time, following the retreat of Russian troops from Lyman in the Donetsk region, the general faced public criticism from Ramzan Kadyrov and Yevgeny Prigozhin. Kadyrov accused Lapin of losing the city and demanded that he be stripped of his general’s rank and demoted to private.

Lapin subsequently stepped down from his command post, but in January 2023, he became head of the General Staff of the Russian Ground Forces. In 2024, he was appointed commander of the Leningrad Military District, as well as the “North” military group, which operated, in particular, near the border with Ukraine.

However, even in this position, Lapin found himself at the center of fresh criticism. The Wall Street Journal, citing a Russian intelligence official, reported that in the spring of 2024—several months before the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ offensive in the Kursk region—the general disbanded the interagency council on regional security. According to the publication’s source, Lapin believed that the Russian army would be able to secure the border on its own.

Some of the complaints against Lapin concerned his treatment of subordinates. In 2022, journalists discovered that the general had held a pistol to the head of a mobilized lieutenant, Dmitry Vodnev, after the latter had led his company out of the line of fire. Lapin demanded that the officer return the unit to the front lines.

Earlier, “Kommersant” reported that Lapin was being considered as a candidate for the position of chairman of the State Duma’s Defense Committee in the new convocation. However, his candidacy was ultimately not approved in Moscow.

This is according to reports from Russian propaganda media.

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