According to the BBC the Russian President Medvedev has decided to replace the senior officer in charge of the Russian Inelligence Agency: The Main Directorate of Intelligence (GRU), which has more intelligence agents in other countries than the actual Russian intelligence and "spy" agency the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). The 63 year old general Valentin Korbalenkov has been replaced with general Alexander Shlyakthurov. No reasons for the replacement were given by the Russian President or the Government.
Mr. Medvedev for some time has been pushing for a reform of the Russian military. The reform was supposed to cut down the amount of troops from 1.3 million to about 1.00. Most of the troops that are supposed to be dismissed though are within the officer cadre, with many generals included.
General Korbalenkov has been one of the biggest opponents of the military reform. The general replacing him has been known to be more compliant with the government.
The reform can be seen as very similar to the Stalinist military purge in the 1930 and 1940's. Is this Medvedev's new way to get the military in line and under control of the government with Mr. Putin in charge, or Mr. Medvedev himself? Only time will tell.
(GRU LOGO)
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