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   From: nowomr@protonmail.com   
      
   Former Russian Commander Floats 'Civil War' as He Slams Putin's Forces   
   By Andrew Stanton On 3/4/23 at 10:56 AM EST   
      
      
   Former Russian commander Igor Girkin floated a "civil war" as a potential   
   solution to Moscow's struggling invasion of Ukraine in a new Telegram post   
   slamming Kremlin military leadership.   
      
   Girkin's latest remarks come more than a year after Russian President   
   Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.   
   Although Putin initially hoped for a quick victory over Kyiv, which has a   
   smaller military than Russia, Ukraine responded with a   
   stronger-than-anticipated defense effort that has been bolstered by   
   Western military aid, blunting Putin's forces.   
      
   After months of combat, and a lack of clear progress on Russia's side,   
   some Russian military experts continue to grow more critical of the   
   country's military leadership, which they blame for Ukraine's success in   
   reclaiming formerly occupied territory.   
      
   Meanwhile, Girkin, a self-described Russian nationalist who rose to   
   prominence during the Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014,   
   has emerged as one of Putin's most vocal critics. While Girkin has   
   expressed support for the goals of the invasion, he has been sharply   
   critical of the Kremlin in recent months.   
      
   >   
   Girkin floats civil war, attacks Putin's forces   
   Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg on January 18. Inset,   
   former commander Igor Girkin. Girkin, who has become sharply critical of   
   Kremlin leadership amid the Russia-Ukraine war, floated a potential civil   
   war as a solution to Moscow's struggling position against Ukraine.   
   Contributor/Getty Images;MAX VETROV/AFP via Getty Images   
      
   The former military commander, who has been charged with terrorism by   
   Ukraine, took to Telegram on Saturday to share his latest attack on   
   Russia's military. He described Russian Deputy General Andrey Kartapolov   
   as a "fool" and suggested dividing up military responsibilities by local   
   municipalities.   
      
   "But the idea is in the air: to protect against terrorists and air strikes   
   in each municipality, it is necessary to create their own armies, since   
   our nationwide armed forces are not doing their job," Girkin wrote.   
      
   He noted there is historical precedence for such a division, questioning   
   if the nation could "repeat" past civil conflicts. SIGN UP FOR NEWSWEEK’S   
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   "True, this has already happened - in the last Civil War," he wrote.   
      
   "Hundreds of self-defense units and just gangs fought among themselves and   
   with those states that arose and disappeared on the territory of the   
   former Russian Empire. Can we repeat?" Russia Civil War: Girkin Warned   
   Conflict Would End in 'Millions of Casualties'   
      
   Girkin did not offer specific details about what this proposed "civil war"   
   would look like, but in January he warned about a potential civil war   
   within Russia that could end in "millions of casualties."   
      
   "There are all kinds of civil wars. There are civil wars that will kill   
   our country in three days in winter. And it will be over in three days,   
   but it will kill the country," Girkin said in a clip posted to Twitter by   
   Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of   
   Ukraine.   
      
   Mark Feygin, a former deputy in the State Duma and human rights lawyer,   
   previously told Newsweek that Russian defeat could lead to a civil war,   
   which would likely involve various political factions and regions vying   
   for control of the large Eastern European nation.   
      
   Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as   
   foreign affairs analysts, for comment.   
      
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