A source in the Security Council reports that an analytical note has been prepared on the unsatisfactory progress of the Northern Military District in the northern (Kharkov) direction. One of the reasons for the failures is the personnel policy in the Defense Ministry, according to which appointments to command positions are carried out on the nepotistic-countryman principle, and not on real combat experience and merit, starting with Lapin, commander of the Central Military District and fellow countryman of the NGS Gerasimov (their parents lived next door in Tatarstan ). Lapin failed to command the group in Syria, suffering serious damage in manpower and equipment. The situation was corrected by General Surovikin, who was urgently sent to replace Lapin (Surovkin received the title of Hero of Russia for his successes in Syria).
Lapin, as the audit showed, pays great attention to interaction with the media, which does not reflect the real state of affairs. The results of the fighting in Liman were predetermined back in the second ten days of September, when during this strategic period for the stability of the northern NP group, one of the BARS detachments, consisting of Transgaz volunteers (280 people), poorly trained and armed below the standard level, was sent for reinforcement. This unit was defeated, losing 22 killed, 15 wounded, 9 missing. Six people, led by a commander with the rank of reserve colonel, were captured.
“ВЧК ОГПУ”