The general Sergei Surovikinknown as the “bloody dog” of the Kremlin for its cruelty in conflicts such as those in Syria or Chechnya, is no longer military right hand of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This Wednesday, Surovikin has been removed from office and replaced by the current chief of the General Staff of the Russian Army, Valery Gerasimov.
At 67, Gerasimov will be the person in charge of supervising what Russia considers a “special military operation” in Ukraine, as announced by the Russian Defense Minister, Sergey Shoiguin a statement collected by the news agency ESTUARY.
Russia had risen to Surovikin to be your top commander on the battlefield in Octoberafter a series of Ukrainian counter-offensives in the north and south of the country changed the course of the conflict. However, since his appointment, the Russian army has not achieved any significant military victories, but has suffered numerous humiliating defeats on the battlefield.
From now on Surovikin will act as deputy head of the joint group of troops in the conflict. Thus, he will be below Gerasimov.
[El Cruel Currículum de Surovikin, el “Perro Sanguinario” de Putin en Ucrania: Ataques Químicos y Torturas]
Is military leadership reorganization responds, according to Defense, “to the expansion of the magnitude of the objectives to be met and the need to organize closer cooperation between the different army troops”. It is, in short, a movement designed to increase effectiveness of the management of military operations in Ukraine, more than ten months after the start of the conflict.
In addition, the arrival of Guerásimov to the position seeks to improve the quality of supplies and the effectiveness of the command of the group of forces, according to the agency. efe.
Likewise, Shoigu announced an urgent reform of the Army which included increasing the number of men to a million and a half, almost half of them professional soldiers. Right now, Russian troops and units of the Wagner private military company are fighting in the streets of the town of Soledar, in the Donetsk region.
The conquest of that bastion not only would it be the first great Russian victory in more than half a year, but would pave the way to attack Bakhmut, a major crossroads leading to the main Ukrainian strongholds in Donbas.
