1 Russian President Boris Yeltsin on Thursday sacked two top army generals, both with a rank of deputy defense minister.
2 Colonel generals Matvei Burlakov and Georgy Kondratyev were relieved of their duties by a Yeltsin decree, the presidential press-service said.
3 Burlakov, who commanded the Western Group of Forces based in Germany, was long rumored and openly accused in the Russian media of being corrupt.
4 Still, Defense Minister Pavel Grachev has been actively backing Burlakov and secured the deputy minister's post for him after Russian forces completed their pullout from Germany last August.
5 In November, Yeltsin suspended Burlakov following the assassination of a reporter investigating military corruption. Dmitry Kholodov, who worked for the popular daily Moskovsky Komsomolets, was killed in the newspaper's office by a briefcase rigged with explosives.
6 Moskovsky Komsomolets has accused Grachev and Burlakov of being involved in the murder -- the charges both have denied.
7 The dismissal of Kondratyev apparently stemmed from his protests against Grachev's handling of the war in Chechnya. He and some other generals sharply criticized the mission, which they said was ill-planned and hastily prepared.
8 In December, Grachev reportedly asked Yeltsin to fire Kondratyev.

Still , Defense Minister Pavel Grachev has been actively backing Burlakov and secured the deputy minister ' s post for him after Russian forces completed their pullout from Germany last August .
Pavel Grachev has been actively backing Burlakov
Why is the Defense Minister actively backing Burlakov?