Kremlin's shady campaign against popular general Teplinsky: Discrediting officer out of fear?

Such high-ranking officers as him are rare in Russia. General Mikhail Teplinsky, the commander of the airborne troops and leader of the "Dnieper" operational group on the Ukrainian front, is highly esteemed by his soldiers. At 55, he is known as a stalwart against foolishness and insubordination.

His military stature caught the attention of the Kremlin. This led to his assignment as the leader of the army forces operating in the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia last summer. The Putin-led military establishment decided to alter the officer's image; hence, a special group was formed to sully and mock Teplinsky in diverse ways.

Because his standing in the military stirred fear even in Russia's President, he is too popular - that's Putin's assessment.

Emulating the Stalinist era and Soviet Union traditions, Vladimir Putin preemptively thwarts potential threats to his position in Russia. Now, the spotlight has fallen on an officer of extraordinary reputation within the military, which generates suspicion among the Kremlin authorities. Typically, soldiers hold animosity towards their commanders.

Teplinsky's popularity was promptly recognized in Moscow, and his restrained conduct during Evgeny Prigozhin's rebellion intensified this attention. His failure to condemn the oligarch or publicly support Vladimir Putin raised eyebrows among his peers. Teplinsky was subsequently under surveillance for his ambiguous behavior, followed by a promotion.

However, all knew that he was being dispatched on a near-suicidal mission. In the fall, he was appointed as the commander of the "Dnieper" military group, responsible for regions including the occupied Kherson and a portion of Zaporizhzhia. His reassignment to this demanding region is surprising, especially given his removal from Ukrainian operations in early 2023.

Ukrainian sources claim that after Prigozhin's coup, plans were made to gradually oust him, primarily by damaging his image and the rampant support he enjoys within the military, especially among the airborne troops. In August, Teplinsky released a recording that unveiled the extent of the Russian military's losses, an act that triggered widespread fury.

A special group within the Russian military units was formed to combat this information. This group established multiple channels and groups on social media platforms to create and circulate materials intended to disparage the general. Rumors of him having two families and allegations of mental health issues have often surfaced...

Allegedly, last fall, Teplinsky led his troops to certain death in a plot to "mislead Ukrainian forces". The incident occurred in mid-November in the Kherson region, where Russian forces faced substantial difficulties.