It was reported that Vladimir Putin sacked a senior admiral for refusing to send his sailors to fight in the war against Ukraine.
Admiral Sergei Avakyants, 66, was abruptly stripped of the role of commander of Russia’s Pacific Fleet last week during war games involving nuclear bombers ordered by the Kremlin.
Avakyants seeks to protect his men from proliferation – to prevent them from being cannon fodder – according to Volya and Brief Telegram.
The admiral repeatedly resisted or reduced orders to send his men to fight in the Ukraine.
And when he was forced to do so, he allegedly sent his most disciplined and unreliable men into the war zone.
Admiral Sergei Avakyants, 66, was abruptly stripped of the role of commander of Russia’s Pacific Fleet last week.
Avakyants seeks to protect his men from spreading
‘He told Admiral Nikolai Yevminov (Commander-in-Chief of the Navy) in plain language that he would not allow the fleet to be destroyed – its sailors, trained officers and well-coordinated crews would not be torn apart,’ said a source. In the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.
He was particularly infuriated by the losses suffered by the elite Marines who had been forced into Ukraine.
Footage from February shows the defeat of the 155th Brigade at Fuldar.
The Moscow Call military channel reported at the time that “31 armored vehicles of the 155th Guards Separate Naval Brigade of the Russian Pacific Fleet were destroyed during an attack on Voldar”.
Earlier, the 155th Marine Brigade wrote a letter complaining about the meat grinder tactics of Putin’s leaders in Ukraine which saw “300 men killed, wounded and missing” in four days of heavy fighting at Pavlevka.
The admiral repeatedly resisted or reduced orders to send his men to fight in the Ukraine
From left to right – Vladimir Putin, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Commander of the Pacific Fleet Admiral Sergey Avakyants pictured in 2016 in the Far East of Russia
It was claimed that the admiral’s “discontent” grew as the losses mounted.
Recently, Avakyants defied the Kremlin’s orders and said he would not send more troops when he was in charge of the Pacific Fleet.
The report stated that he objected to the request of “infantry formations heading to Ukraine from among the sailors of warships, submarines and auxiliary ships.”
For this insubordination, he was dismissed and sent on leave – and would later move into a behind-the-scenes diplomatic role in Moscow.
Officials gave various reasons last week for firing one of Russia’s most respected commanders who had been in charge of the Pacific Fleet for more than a decade.
The leaks indicated that this was due to “the unsatisfactory state of fleet preparation” and “many command errors”.
It was claimed that the admiral’s “discontent” grew as the losses mounted
From left to right – Vladimir Putin, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Commander of the Pacific Fleet Admiral Sergey Avakyants pictured in 2016 in the Far East of Russia
Another version of the story was that he had reached the age of compulsory retirement but it was announced that he would assume a role responsible for military training and patriotic education.
“The commander of the Pacific Fleet, Sergei Avakyants, has reached retirement age (65 years) and has been sent to rest with honors,” said a source in the Ministry of Defense.
Avakyants is already 66 years old, and age is usually not a barrier in Russia: Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is 67, Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin is 70, and the head of the FSB intelligence service, Alexander Bortnikov, is 71.
Another version of the story is that he reached the mandatory retirement age
The real story seems to be the Avakyants’ refusal to send Pacific Fleet forces to face more death in Ukraine.
A touching video highlights the graves of countless Marines under his command in Vladivostok who were killed after being sent to Ukraine.
Volya said that Avakyantes’ successor, Admiral Victor Lina, had been promoted after he had met his quota of troops for the war when he was in charge of the Baltic Fleet.
A military source said, “Simply send Lina as many people as it was determined.”
The Avakyants tried with all their might to deviate from this instruction.
Lena, on the contrary, did as she was ordered.
“In December, for this he was awarded the admiral’s epaulettes, which he had long dreamed of.”
His conversion to the Pacific Fleet was announced last week.
