- It is the official version, although according to Western sources, Alexander Lapin has been fired.

Alexander Lapin, decorated by Putin in 2017.

Putin gives forced vacation to the general responsible for the defense of Donbas

Things are not going well for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine and the military commanders on the ground are suffering the most from President Vladimir Putin's frustration.

One of them is Major General Alexander Lapin, who has come under public criticism in Russia for the performance of his troops fighting in Ukraine. Lapin is commander of one of Russia's five military districts, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Western intelligence sources reported this week that the Kremlin had fired General Lapin, considered responsible for defenses in Donbas.

However, the official version, according to the regional news agency Ura.ru, is that Lapin is taking a three-week break or vacation, despite the fact that the invasion of Russia began nine months ago.

The Russian newspaper Kommersant quoted the press office of the Central Military District, based in the city of Yekaterinburg, as saying that a temporary commander was replacing Lapin.

Lapin has come under public criticism from two close and increasingly vocal allies of President Vladimir Putin: Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner private military group.

Kadyrov said a month ago, after Russian forces were expelled from the Lyman strategic logistics hub in eastern Ukraine, that Lapin should be stripped of his medals and sent to the front with a gun to "wash away his shame with blood."

Lapin's deputy as commander of the Central District is Maj. Gen. Alexander Linkov, head of its organization and mobilization department, Kommersant said.

General Lapin is the last commander who ordered Russian forces to cross the Ukraine border in February and was still in the post. His departure could be yet another evidence of a power shift taking place inside the Kremlin, away from the Defense Ministry and closer to warlords like Kadyrov and Prigozhin.

Read this also: Putin Deploys Special Troops To Block The Defections Of His Soldiers In Ukraine: "They Threaten To Shoot"