Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu changed the military leadership in Ukraine, appointing Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff, as head of the nation’s combined forces.
(Bloomberg) — Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu changed the military leadership in Ukraine, appointing Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff, as head of the nation’s combined forces.
General Sergei Surovikin, who had held the post since October, will become one of Gerasimov’s deputies, the Defense Ministry said in a statement Wednesday. Oleg Salyukov, chief of the land forces, and Alexei Kim, deputy head of the General Staff, will also serve as deputies.
Under Surovikin’s command, Russian troops withdrew from Kherson, the only Ukrainian regional center captured by Russia after the Feb. 24 invasion. Russia also unleashed waves of missile attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The reshuffle is linked to an “expanded” scope of the objectives in the Kremlin’s campaign, as well as the need for better coordination between branches of the military and improved management of forces, the statement said.
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