True, Vlad's phone must be busy with all those calls from the units in the field, if he wants to command the military, I'd give the men his number! So many Russian officers and generals have been killed and Vlad fired dozens more, there isn't even an NCO corps in the Russian army, no wonder they lack leadership and direction when the shit hits the fan. With rock bottom morale they are ripe for collapse and mass surrender and that would be very bad for Vlad, worse than if they were killed.
The dead can't speak, but the living can talk to western media and make videos, then cause trouble when they come back home pissed off.