ISW explains why Putin did not dare to punish Kadyrov and Prigozhin for criticizing Russian Ministry of Defense

The Institute for the Study of War reports.

American analysts believe that the incident with the harsh criticism of Ramzan Kadyrov and Yevgeny Prigozhin against General Oleksandr Lapin, who allegedly commanded the Russian troops in the Lyman region of Donetsk region, indicates a split among the Russian security forces.

ISW believes that Putin did not punish Kadyrov and Prigozhin for their attacks on Lapin and the Ministry of Defense because he was afraid of losing their support. The Kremlin desperately needs Kadyrov's Chechen fighters and Wagner Prigozhin's mercenaries to fight in Ukraine.

At the same time, Russian dictator cannot take away the right to vote from the Ministry of Defense, which controls most of the units fighting in Ukraine.

In addition, experts believe that the Kremlin is trying to ensure the loyalty of military propagandists who came to the defense of the general. They criticize Kadyrov's attacks on Lapin and claim that they occurred because of the competition between Lapin and Kadyrov and Prigozhin.

Pro-Kremlin media even interviewed military bloggers who portrayed Lapin as a hero for "rescuing" the surrounded units in Liman and tried to shift the responsibility for the defeat to the recently dismissed commander of the Western Military District, Colonel General Oleksandr Zhuravlev.

Propaganda TV channels presented it as if it was the military "correspondents" who met with Putin who pointed out to him the shortcomings of the Russian army, and the president of the Russian Federation reckons with their opinion.