Putin Army Chief's Absence Fuels Exit Rumors

Russian army chief Valery Gerasimov was conspicuously absent from an emergency Security Council meeting held by President Vladimir Putin on Friday, raising further questions as he faces mounting criticism over Ukraine's surprise incursion into the western Kursk region.

Gerasimov, 68, is reported to be under fire after seemingly dismissing intelligence warnings that Kyiv's forces were preparing to launch an armored assault into Kursk, which borders Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region. Bloomberg, citing an unnamed source close to the Kremlin, reported Thursday that Kremlin officials are frustrated with his handling of the war.

Similar accusatory reports regarding Gerasimov were circulating on Russian Telegram channels this week, as Ukrainian troops advanced deeper inside the Kursk region.

Gerasimov's absence at the meeting of Putin's top allies was picked up by multiple individuals, including Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs, who said on X (formerly Twitter): "No Gerasimov this time. No mentioning Kursk region."

"Observe who is here [at the Security Council meeting] and who is not," said the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Politjoystic.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated shortly.

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