Russian Colonel General Alexander Lapin, a senior commander responsible for military operations in the Ukraine war in February 2022, has been dismissed from military service, Russian news agency RBC reported on Sunday, September 21, citing an unidentified source.
Lapin will be appointed as an assistant to Tatarstan’s head, located in the European part of Russia, who will be responsible for supporting veterans and their families, according to local news agency Tatar Inform.
In 2022, the dismissed senior commander led the Russian Central Military District and the “Centre” grouping in Ukraine but later faced criticism from Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen Republic and a close ally of Russia’s President Putin, after withdrawing Russian forces from the Ukrainian town of Lyman.
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Later, Lapin, 66, was appointed (May 16, 2024) head of the Leningrad Military District, where he also led the “North” grouping in Ukraine and near the Ukrainian border, according to Reuters. He was replaced in August 2025 by Colonel General Yevgeny Nikiforov.
This article includes reporting from Reuters.