MOSCOW - A group of retired top Russian generals accused Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of indecision during the first hours of the 2008 war with Georgia in the most serious attack on the country's No. 2 politician since he stepped down as president in May.
The group, which included former armed forces chief of general staff and ground forces commander, spoke in a documentary “The lost day” which circulated on the Internet in the run-up to the four-year anniversary of the war.
Russia sent its army to the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia in August 2008 after an attack on the region by the Georgian forces. At the time of the attack, then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
“I am convinced, until there was a kick from Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin) in Beijing, everyone here, speaking politely, was afraid of something,” former Chief of General Staff Yuri Baluyevsky said.
Medvedev sacked Baluyevsky, who now advises Russia’s national Security Council chaired by Putin, two months before the war, allegedly over his disagreements with Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov.
The generals argued that the Georgian army had started its attack on Aug. 6, while the Russian army moved in only on Aug. 8. They said the country’s leadership had full information and had an action plan ready.
“From my point of view, the Commander-in-Chief should have said one word: ‘Act in accordance with the plan,'” Baluyevsky said. “This primary order is the most important thing and this order was issued with huge delay.”
A ‘QUICK ENOUGH’ DECISION
Medvedev, who is increasingly seen as a liability for Putin after the two decided to swap jobs last September, flew to Tskhinvali on Wednesday to take part in the war commemoration events.
“This decision (to send the army to Georgia) was taken on time, quickly enough, we managed to avoid significantly bigger losses. I managed to take the decision which restored balance and brought peace,” Medvedev said in Tskhinvali.
Many analysts believe that Medvedev’s government is short-lived and he will be made a scapegoat should the economic situation in Russia deteriorate as the result of a global crisis.
The decision to send troops to Georgia drew international condemnation, especially from the United States, which openly back Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s pro-Western policies.
The documentary, whose authors are not identified but whose style resembles the anti-opposition propaganda films aired on national television channels during the election campaign, pitched “weak” Medvedev against the “real leader” Putin.
Putin stepped down as president in 2008 due to a constitutional ban on taking office for a third consecutive term. He anointed Medvedev as his successor but had always been seen as a senior partner.
When Putin announced his comeback last year, he said that Medvedev’s departure was agreed a long time ago but some Kremlin insiders say the ex-president harboured presidential ambitions but was deemed as too weak by Putin’s inner circle.
The two also openly clashed over Medvedev’s decision not to block a U.N. Security Council resolution that authorised the NATO intervention in Libya, i n another sign of his weakness.
“The hawks are attacking Medvedev. They do not like him because they believe that the political rallies of the last few months are the result of his flirtation with the liberal-minded opposition,” said analyst Pavel Salin.
Putin commented twice on the documentary, displaying an unusual attention to the Internet video. He said the decision to send troops to South Ossetia was difficult and admitted that he had spoken with Medvedev before thearmy moved in.
“The decision to use the armed forces requires utmost responsibility, it is an order to start a military action. There is shooting there, people are dying. One should think ten times before taking such a decision,” Putin told reporters.
