Putin axes 5 generals from Russian military's top brass as Ukraine invasion nears 100th day mark

• Vladimir Putin fired five generals from the Russian military's top brass, per local media outlets.
• The dismissals come just days out from the 100-day mark of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin fired five generals from the military's top brass this week amid Moscow's stumbling invasion of Ukraine.

Putin's dismissal of the generals was reported by the Russian newspaper Pravda, which cited an extract of the decree that a source confirmed to be authentic.

Per the outlet, the decree listed five major generals — Vasily Kukushkin, Alexander Laas, Andrey Lipilin, Alexander Udovenko, and Yuri Instrankin — as well as police colonel Emil Musin.

All five major generals held leading positions in the military for their various regions.

Their firing comes weeks after two generals were fired for performing poorly in Ukraine.

According to UK intelligence, Lieutenant General Serhiy Kisel, who commanded the elite 1st Guards Tank Army, was suspended for failing to capture Kharkiv. Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Igor Osipov, who commanded Russia's Black Sea Fleet, was fired after the Moskva battleship was sunk in April.

Meanwhile, Russia's top commander for the Ukraine war, Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, has not been seen for weeks, leading some US officials to speculate that he might have been removed from his post.

At least 25 Russian generals and commanders have been killed in action amid the Ukraine war.

Apart from the reshuffling and culling in the ranks of Russia's military elite, trouble has also been brewing among rank-and-file officers involved in the conflict. More than 100 members of Putin's "private army' were fired for refusing to fight in Ukraine, and hundreds of Russian soldiers have deserted the military.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has gone unexpectedly poorly, particularly after it suffered "devastating losses" of its junior officers. Western officials estimate that some 15,000 Russians have been killed in the invasion. Ukraine, meanwhile, claimed it has killed 30,000 Russian troops.

Friday marks the 100th day of the Ukraine war, which began when Putin launched an unprovoked invasion of the country on February 24.