Russian Military Command Rifts Affect Ukraine Operation

(AP) – As Russian troops wage a ferocious fight for control of strongholds in eastern Ukraine, a parallel battle is unfolding in the top echelons of military power in Moscow. President Vladimir Putin has reshuffled his generals while rival camps try to win his favor. Fighting for the Ukrainian town of Soledar and the nearby city of Bakhmut has highlighted a rift between the Russian Defense Ministry leadership and a millionaire whose private military force known as the Wagner Group has played an increasingly visible role in Ukraine. Putin’s shakeup of the military brass was seen as a bid to show that the Defense Ministry still has his support as the troubled conflict nears the 11-month mark.