"Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Fired Amid Western Sanctions and Military Purge"

Russian Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, who was sanctioned by the West for his role in the Ukraine war, has been removed as deputy defence minister. Mizintsev orchestrated the siege of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol in the early months of the war last year. His departure was reported by a Russian military blogger and a leading news website, but no explanation was given for his removal. President Vladimir Putin has frequently reshuffled top military figures without explanation.