In this story, the old administrative formula—“everything for friends, the law for enemies”—feels painfully familiar. It seems to have migrated from a peacetime system, where failures could be written off and corruption could be ignored as long as one maintained the “right” personal loyalty, straight into the logic of running a war. Where the price of decisions is measured in lives, it looks even more cynical: accountability vanishes, and those who rise are not the ones who protect their troops, but those who can “explain” losses and remain convenient.
And the most frightening part is that, in such a system, the person as a citizen—the “people”—remains somewhere outside the brackets. As if no one truly cared about people before the war, and during the war few seem interested in what it will do to the country. This stubborn distancing from caring for one’s own people leads to a simple, grim end: to new waves of mobilization—when there will be no volunteers left, and those who remain will not be enough.
Against that backdrop, the news reads like a concentrated dose of the model itself: for losses of personnel—not punishment, but promotion and awards.
For losses of personnel — promotion and the title Hero of Russia
Lieutenant General Sukhrab Sultanovich Akhmedov is a Russian military commander whose career, in the version of events described, illustrates a paradox: after episodes involving heavy losses, he did not face public accountability, but received new appointments, ranks, and ultimately the highest decoration.
November 2022: Pavlovka, “meat assaults,” and “no violations found.”
Marines of the 155th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade (unit 30926; referenced by the Telegram channel ne_zhdi_novosti, post No. 4348) addressed a letter to the governor of Primorsky Krai, Oleg Kozhemyako. They accused the command of organizing “meat assaults” near Pavlovka on the Vuhledar axis. According to their claim, in four days the brigade lost around 300 people and up to 50% of its equipment. The governor ordered a military prosecutor’s review; the прокуратура reported that no violations were found. Soon after that, Akhmedov was appointed commander of the 20th Army of the Western Military District, and later received a general’s rank (as stated in the news—major general).
June 2023: near Kreminna — a formation under fire and more stars.
It is reported that near Kreminna, as a result of shelling by Ukraine’s Armed Forces, around 100 servicemen of the 144th Motor Rifle Division were killed and around 100 wounded. The text highlights a chilling detail: the troops reportedly stood for two hours in an open parade ground, waiting for Akhmedov’s speech for Russia Day. On December 6, 2023, Vladimir Putin awarded Akhmedov the rank of lieutenant general.
May 2024: removal after criticism — without official reasons.
On May 23, 2024, Akhmedov was removed from his post as commander of the 20th Army after criticism from military correspondents and subordinates; no official reasons were stated. This happened amid кадровые чистки in the Defense Ministry following Sergei Shoigu’s departure.
Autumn 2024 – February 2025: Kursk direction and accusations by military bloggers.
In autumn 2024, Akhmedov was redeployed to the Kursk direction. According to war correspondents, on February 6, 2025, the grouping on the Sudzha axis suffered an operational defeat. Military bloggers accused Akhmedov of distorting reports to the president and of the command rejecting award submissions for rank-and-file fighters.
July 10, 2025: Hero of Russia.
On July 10, 2025, the head of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, reported that Lieutenant General Sukhrab Akhmedov was awarded the title Hero of Russia.
December 22, 2025: Dobropillia — an assault by column and heavy equipment losses.
The news claims that on December 22, 2025, near Dobropillia, Akhmedov sent an assault column of 30 vehicles from several naval infantry units. The column came under massive fire. The outcome listed in the text: 6 tanks, 9 IFVs, 5 APCs, 1 ARV, and 10 quad bikes destroyed. It adds that the same “assault by columns” tactic had been mentioned in the Pavlovka and Vuhledar episodes as well.
The conclusion in the news reads like a verdict on the system: in such a model, commanders do not bear visible responsibility for defeats and heavy personnel losses—on the contrary, they receive promotions and awards. And that is what turns “everything for friends, the law for enemies” from a cynical slogan into a working mechanism—where human life becomes a statistic, and loyalty becomes a pass upward.
Source: the Telegram channel “Don’t Expect Good News.”
https://t.me/ne_zhdi_novosti/4580