Mad Vlad’s “naked general” is being blamed for an embarrassing drone strike in Belarus that destroyed a £274 million Russian spy plane.
An extraordinary video was leaked online showing Lieutenant General Alexander Matovnikov, the 57-year-old deputy commander of Russian ground forces, dancing naked to music.
The excruciating 44-second-long footage of the dancing general was almost immediately picked up by Ukrainian media, which almost unanimously said it was evidence of why the attack on the plane was so successful.
READ MORE: Russia ‘massing huge air force with jets and helicopters' to 'overwhelm' Ukraine defences
Lt. Gen. Matovnikov was appointed to the post three years ago after serving Putin in a key political role.
Leaked rumours alleged the married commander was more interested in womanising than protecting Putin’s valuable planes in Belarus, a key part of his job.
The positions the naked general, who has a string of military honours to his name, has held make it clear he was close to Putin.
From 2018 to 2020 he played a political role as Putin’s plenipotentiary representative in the tinderbox North Caucasus Federal District.
He was a member of the Security Council of the Russian Federation during the same period.
The shocking video was released at the same time that a separate video leaked of Belarus’ dictator Alexander Lukashenko exploding over the failure of his security service to protect Russian aircraft based in his country.
Vladimir Putin claims 'West wants to destroy and dismantle Russia' in bizarre rant
The incredible pieces of footage were released hours after exiled Belarusian political figures claimed responsibility for the attack on the wildly expensive Russian spy plane, which damaged front and central parts of the aircraft as well as its radar and antenna.
The plane has previously been used to pinpoint targets for Russian missile strikes on Ukraine, notably by Russian MiG fighter jets which carry hypersonic missiles.
The video of Alexander Lukashenko showed him giving his underlings a hiding, and while he did not mention the destruction of the spy plane, this was widely seen as the reason for his outburst.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.
READ NEXT:
- Woman shopping for fish dinner returns home with new pet she spotted wriggling in ice
- Teen's Ford Fiesta explodes in death-defying end to 95mph police pursuit
- Met Office says where stunning Northern Lights phenomenon can be seen in UK tonight
Source: Read Full Article
