‘Hero of Russia’, Colonel General Gennady Zhidko found dead

A leading Russian Colonel, General Gennady Zhidko has been found dead. The 58-year-old briefly led the Ukraine invasion.

General Zhidko, held string of top military positions before his death. He was named ‘Hero of Russia’ six years ago – which is the country’s highest honorary title.

Zhidko was the commander of the failing war effort last year.  He was however replaced with General Sergei ‘Armageddon’ Surovikin by Vladimir Putin.

The Readovka news publication reported General Zhidko died following a ‘lengthy illness’.

Zhidko was in charge of Putin’s ‘special military operation’ between April and October last year. He was known as having one of the ‘best military brains in Russia’.

He had taken over from General Alexander Dvornikov.

Dvornikov was known as the ‘Butcher of Syria’. He led Russia’s intervention in the country’s civil war in 2015.

General Zhidko was ousted by Putin following Russia’s failure to grab the city of Kharkiv,

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The general had served in different capacities. He was deputy minister of defence. He was again deputy chief of the armed forces general staff. Zhidko served as chief of Putin’s troops in Syria. He had also commanded Russia’s Eastern Military District.

The West made many sanctions against General Zhidko at the time.

Zhidko has been lightly seen of him since he was ousted. The details about his death, where he died, are not yet known.

The governor of the Khabarovsk region, Mikhail Degtyarev, confirmed the general’s death and expressed his condolences, but no official announcement has been made.

General Zhidko’s replacement, General Surovikin, was also demoted from his role shortly after and chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, was put in charge of the invasion effort.

General Surovikin remained his deputy, but it is thought he was detained after he mysteriously vanished following the failed Wagner coup in June. Sources suggested he had advance knowledge of the bodged mutiny.

General Gerasimov, 67, was also purged last month – less than six months after he was appointed – in the latest of Putin’s string of firings.

It is thought he will however remain in charge of the Russian armed forces as chief of the general staff.

According to Russian media, he has been replaced by Colonel General Mikhail Teplinskiy.

In the latest on the war, a notorious former Russian spy chief has accused Putin of failures in an astonishing court rant.

Vladimir Kvachkov, 75, said the Russian leader and his top staff were not ‘capable of waging a war’ after a Moscow court found him guilty of ‘discrediting the armed forces’.

The governor of Ukraine’s Odesa region said Russian attack drones had damaged grain facilities and that 13 of the devices had been downed.