In Russia, the “commander of the war” against Ukraine was again replaced
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The Russian command again replaced the head of the “joint group of troops” in Ukraine. They became the head of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. He replaced General Sergei Surovikin. Formally, the goal is pursued by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The Russian Defense Ministry called the reshuffle “an increase in the level of promotion” the so-called “special military operation.”
As follows from the reports of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the expected head of the group Commander-in-Chief of the Military Space Forces Sergey Surovikin now – only one of Gerasimov’s deputies. Commander-in-Chief of the RF Ground Forces Oleg Salyukov and Deputy Chief of the General Staff Colonel-General Alexei Kim received similar posts as deputy chief of the grouping.
Surovikin contracted group surrender on 8 October. Prior to him, this position was held by General Alexander Lapin, who removed on the background harsh criticism “Putin’s cook”, the owner of “PMC Wagner” Prigozhin and the head of Chechnya Kadyrov.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation called the reshuffle “an increase in the level of promotion” the so-called “special military operation”
and it is noted that this phenomenon “is associated with the expansion of the scale solved in the course of its tasks, pursues closer interaction between members and branches of the military”, as well as “increased quality of all types and efficiency of command and control of the grouping of troops (forces)”.
It is curious that on the eve of January 10, it became known that Lapin also went on promotion, taking up, at the end of last year, the position of chief Headquarters of the Russian Ground Forces.
Ukrainian edition “Country Politics” Against the background of a powerful information campaign in the Russian “patriotic” environment against Shoigu and Gerasimov – with forecasts about the resignation of their positions.
Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, has already commented on the Russian reshuffle.
“Change, do not change the command united groups, but endure the pulse to the end. Because “like it, don’t like it… beautiful,” Podolyak said, referring to the infamous demands of the US President.
Recall that two weeks before the start of the war, on the night of February 8, 2022, at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Moscow of the Russian Federation, Putin said (referring to Ukraine and the “non-fulfillment” of the Minsk agreements): “I like If you don’t like it, be patient, my beauty. Must be fulfilled.”
On the same day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, at a joint press conference with Macron in Kyiv replied to head of the Kremlin.
The British Ministry of Defense today also commented on the change of commander of the “joint group team” of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.
“This is an important development in the approach (…) of Putin to the management of the war. “The appointment of a chief of staff as a command theater requires the seriousness of the situation in which Russia finds itself, and is a clear consequence of the fact that the campaign does not meet the strict requirements of Russia,” the British defense establishment said.
It also suggested that “the move is likely to be met with extreme displeasure by part of the blog of most Russian ultra-nationalists and the military, who more often accuse Gerasimov of hard-fought war.”
“Now that (Surovikin) has become a deputy in power, his powers and influence have almost certainly increased significantly,” the UK Ministry of Defense also said.