Two Russian generals are facing the sack after their troops disobeyed orders and retreated from a key Ukraine town, western officials said on Tuesday.
Thousands of Russian troops fled the strategically important town of Lyman that guards an important river crossing, despite direct orders from Moscow to remain in place.
As the Ukraine counter-offensive gathers pace, the strategically vital city of Kherson in the south was also coming under pressure from three axes of attack, but President Vladimir Putin had allegedly ordered its 20,000 defenders to remain, despite the threat of encirclement.
There was now an increasing likelihood that the two Russian generals commanding the Army Group South and Army Group Centre will be dismissed from their post, the western sources said.
“We could well expect to see more command changes in the military,” an official said. “There is particular weight on the shoulders of two individuals, General Alexander Lapin and General Sergei Surovikin in the south. Above them we've seen broadening discontent with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and General [Valery] Gerasimov [head of armed forces].
There was an “increasingly strident tone in the criticism of Russian leadership” from Russian nationalists who felt “loss and even betrayal” over the defeats.
The sacking of General Surovikin would be a further humiliation for Mr Putin as Moscow inflated his reputation as a victor in the Syria conflict when he took over the Ukraine post in early summer.
The invaders were now under immense pressure across their frontline with Kyiv’s generals “throwing problems at the Russian chain of command faster than the Russians can effectively respond” which was “compounding the existing dysfunction” within the invasion force”.
Foremost, the loss of Lyman demonstrated the dysfunction and confusion among Moscow’s commanders.
The town, which commands a key bridge across the Donets river, as well as an important road and rail junction, is politically important as one of the main urban areas in the recently annexed Donetsk area.
It was also defended by well-trained Russian forces, including specialist Arctic troops from the Russian Northern Fleet, volunteer reservists and regular soldiers from the 20th Combined Arms Army.
“They all appear to have withdrawn in poor order suffering high casualties from artillery fire as they attempted to leave the town to the east,” the western official said. It is understood that their casualties numbered more than 1,000 dead, wounded or captured.
Unlike the orderly withdrawal from about 10,000 square kilometres of land in the Kharkiv region two weeks ago, the retreat was more of a rout.
“In Lyman we think that Russian troops retreated despite orders to defend and remain,” the official said. “As part of the supposedly newly-annexed Donbas area, relinquishing this area was exactly what the Kremlin didn't want to happen.
“It was an area where we believe the Russian political leadership did not want to retreat from given the announcements made 24 hours earlier over the annexation.”
He added that the whole of the northern part of Russia's Donbas operation was now looking “increasingly vulnerable”.
A far more serious blow for Moscow, with significant implications for Mr Putin’s leadership, would be the loss of Kherson, which Russian has occupied since the early days of the war.
Ukraine forces are pressing on the Black Sea city, that is also the gateway to Crimea, from three sides on, with one along the western bank of the Dnipro river.
Despite Russia having strong defences and 20,000 high-grade troops on the western bank, there is now a threat they could be cut off, the sources said.
“The situation is rapidly evolving,” the official reported. “It is clear that the northern of Ukraine's three axes of assault has gained some momentum and the forces there are seeking to exploit down the west bank of Dnipro River.”
This threatened the town of Nova Khakovka, 55km east of Kherson. “This would really pose a critical challenge to the viability of the Russian force in Kherson,” the official said.
“Again, we think it unlikely that the Russian leadership would sanction a full pull-out from Kherson for political reasons. So this situation in the south could become increasingly messy, with potentially a more desperate Russian force with their backs to the river Dnipro.”
The official also confirmed that the number of Russian men who had fled conscription equalled the 300,000 that Mr Putin summoned to fight in Ukraine.
He also stated that there was no sign of Russian nuclear forces conducting activities that would raise “any indicators of warning” of a strike.
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fight card
1. Featherweight 66kg: Ben Lucas (AUS) v Ibrahim Kendil (EGY)
2. Lightweight 70kg: Mohammed Kareem Aljnan (SYR) v Alphonse Besala (CMR)
3. Welterweight 77kg:Marcos Costa (BRA) v Abdelhakim Wahid (MAR)
4. Lightweight 70kg: Omar Ramadan (EGY) v Abdimitalipov Atabek (KGZ)
5. Featherweight 66kg: Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Kagimu Kigga (UGA)
6. Catchweight 85kg: Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) v Iuri Fraga (BRA)
7. Featherweight 66kg: Yousef Al Husani (UAE) v Mohamed Allam (EGY)
8. Catchweight 73kg: Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Ahmed Abdelraouf of Egypt (EGY)
9. Featherweight 66kg: Jaures Dea (CMR) v Andre Pinheiro (BRA)
10. Catchweight 90kg: Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
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Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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3. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 0:23.
4. Rigoberto Uran (COL/CAN) 0:29.
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
