VLADIMIR Putin has called a
morbidly obese general out of retirement to lead his troops in Ukraine as he is
running out of senior officers, reports claim.
The Russian despot is now
“scraping the barrel” and relying on 20st vodka-swilling General
Pavel, 67, to revive his faltering invasion.
He is said to be in charge of
Putin’s special forces in eastern Ukraine after the unit’s former
commander was seriously injured in an artillery strike, a source told the Daily
Star.
The hulking veteran reportedly
served in Russia’s bungled invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s and has
over four decades’ experience under his straining belt.
General Pavel first became a
commander of elite troops 25 years ago, but had settled into high-calorie
retirement.
He reportedly scoffs five
meals a day and washes it down with at least a litre of vodka.
The general was reportedly
living in a Moscow suburb after hanging up his boots five years ago, but is
said to have been ordered to return to the Russian army last month.
But Pavel is no longer in his
prime – in fact, he is so overweight he has to have his uniform specially made.
And the 67-year-old sports two
sets of body armour to cover his expansive torso.
A senior intelligence source
said: “Putin is now scraping the barrel.
“Most of his best and
battle-hardened senior commanders have been killed or injured fighting in
Ukraine so he is resorting to sending second-rate officers to the front who
don’t last very long.
“He is now dragging
generals out of retirement and one of those is General Pavel.
“Putin is like a mafia
boss who no one can refuse to obey.
“If a retired general
gets a message from Putin saying mother Russia needs you to fight in Ukraine
there is not much you can do. There is no escape from Russia thanks to the
sanctions.”
The warmonger is digging up
washed-up veterans to fill gaps in his fragile army after carrying out a pitiless
purge of his generals.
