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Vladimir Putin has a new heavy to help lead his troops in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian dictator just brought an obese general out of retirement to aid in his country’s battle in the region, after the loss of other senior officers since Russia invaded its neighbor in late February, according to a report.
The beefy new military honcho, only identified as Gen. Pavel, 67, will lead Russian special forces in the region after the previous commander was seriously injured in an artillery strike, according to London’s Daily Star.
A senior intelligence source told the tab that “Mafia boss” Putin was “scraping the barrel” by calling on the general, who weighs in at an estimated 280 pounds, reportedly eats five meals daily, all washed down by at least a liter of vodka, and needs two sets of body armor to cover his girth.
The general is reportedly a veteran of Russia’s war in Afghanistan in the 1980s.
“Most of [Putin’s] 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,” the source told the Daily Star.
“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,” the source said. “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 source added, referring to restrictions the rest of the world has put on Russians over the invasion.
Pavel was a soldier for more than four decades and then became a commander before he retired after serving in Syria about five years ago, according to the report.
He was living in a Moscow suburb before he was sent to fight last month, the Daily Star reported.
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