Putin replaces army's logistics chief with "Butcher of Mariupol"

Vladimir Putin has fired the general charged with managing the Russian military's faltering logistics operations in Ukraine.

Gen Dmitry Bulgakov, a deputy defence minister, was removed from his role on September 24, the defence ministry said on Telegram, per BBC.

The ministry said the 67-year-old was "released" to transfer into a new role.

He will be replaced by Col Gen Mikhail Mizintsev, who managed Moscow's brutal siege at the port city of Mariupol.

Gen Bulgakov has run the military's logistics operations since 2008 and was responsible for keeping Russian troops supplied after their deployment to Syria in 2015.

But observers say he has become side-lined in Moscow in recent months, with many blaming him for the chaotic logistics operations that have dogged Russia's advance and seen their troops left undersupplied.

Gen Bulgakov's dismissal comes as footage circulated on social media showing newly drafted Russian recruits being equipped with rusty assault rifles.

Pro-war figures in Russia have welcomed his dismissal and the appointment of Gen Mizintsev - who was sanctioned by the UK for his role commanding the Mariupol siege - will likely be welcomed by hardliners.

Gen Mizintsev, who was dubbed "the Butcher of Mariupol" by many Ukrainians, also led Russian forces in Syria and was accused of orchestrating a brutal bombing campaign that levelled the city of Aleppo.

Putin's personnel changes come amid reports that the Russian leader has taken personal charge of the war effort and has started issuing orders to generals in Ukraine himself.

US officials told CNN that the increasingly "dysfunctional command structure" in Moscow had forced Putin to take a more active role in the war.

 Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry said Mizintsev "will build a new slaughterhouse" in Ukraine.

"Remember the photo of a war criminal who will be convicted by the tribunal," the ministry wrote on Twitter.