Russia’s Defence Ministry announced on January 11, 2023, that Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov would take direct command of Russia’s forces in Ukraine, replacing Gen. Sergei Surovikin, NBC News reported.
Surovikin demoted
Surovikin, who was given sole charge of the campaign just three months earlier, will serve as one of Gerasimov’s three deputies, alongside Army Gen. Oleg Salyukov and Col. Gen. Alexei Kim, the ministry said on Telegram.
Surovikin’s tenure since October was marked by an intensified campaign of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure, and by the loss of Kherson city, from which Russian forces withdrew in November 2022 on his recommendation.
Raising the level
The ministry said the change was linked to the expanded scale of tasks and the need for closer cooperation between branches of the armed forces. The shake-up came as Russian forces, led by Wagner Group fighters, claimed progress around Soledar in Donetsk Oblast.
Gerasimov, Russia’s top uniformed officer since 2012, has been criticised by Russian nationalist bloggers and Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin over the army’s performance. Analysts said putting him directly in charge raised the stakes for the military leadership.
Sources
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