According to various sources, Lapin was either fired or resigned himself, writes Russian media EA Daily, reports News.bg.
Since the start of the full-scale war, Lapin has repeatedly been involved in scandals. In 2022, he awarded his son, a tanker who led an unsuccessful offensive towards Sumy and Chernigov, with an order. Shortly after, Lapin himself was awarded the title of “Hero of Russia“.
In October of the same year, the general pointed a gun at a mobilized soldier to “persuade“ him to return to the front. Lapin was also criticized for staged PR actions, receiving nicknames “Traffic Control General“ and “Regulator“ because of a video in which he regulates the movement of military equipment, as well as a clip with “repelling“ a Ukrainian sabotage group in the Belgorod region in 2023, where he gives instructions for a retreat.
Since the spring of 2024, Lapin has headed the Leningrad Military District and the “North“ group. “The Wall Street Journal“ named him as one of the people responsible for the breakthrough of the Ukrainian army across the border in the Kursk region in August 2024.
The new commander Yevgeny Nikiforov is a former chief of the General Staff of the Russian Ground Forces. He led the Western Military District until its disbandment and the “Center“ group. According to the Ukrainian Security Service Nikiforov was closely associated with the murdered leader of “Wagner“ Yevgeny Prigozhin.
In 2014, under his orders, “Wagner“ mercenaries participated in the occupation of parts of Donbas. He also issued an order to shoot down an Il-76 plane delivering ammunition and equipment to Ukrainian defenders of the Luhansk airport, the attack killing 49 people.