Remember that Wagner is not the only PMC.
Shoigu owns one too so they may be his troops. Another Russian General agrees with the lack of support for ordinary troops.
From CNN's Tim Lister and Uliana Pavlova
View attachment 729547General Ivan Popov in an undated photo. Teoyaomiquu/Twitter
A high-profile Russian general in command of forces in occupied southern Ukraine says he has been dismissed from his post after accusing the defense ministry of betraying Russian soldiers by not providing sufficient support.
General Ivan Popov was the commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army, which has been involved in heavy fighting in the Zaporizhzhia region. He is one of the most senior officers involved in the Russian campaign in Ukraine.
In a voice note, Popov said that he raised questions about "the lack of counter-battery combat, the absence of artillery reconnaissance stations and the mass deaths and injuries of our brothers from enemy artillery. I also raised a number of other problems and expressed it all at the highest level frankly and extremely harshly."
Popov said that the Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu then dismissed him.
Popov's audio message was relayed by Andrey Gurulev, a member of the Russian parliament and a former Deputy Commander of the Southern Military District, on his Telegram channel.
The public resignation or dismissal of such a senior officer amid an open dispute over the conduct of the Russian campaign is unprecedented, according to analysts.