The Kremlin’s decision to replace the head of its “special military operation” in Ukraine has rarely been made public. An announcement that also comes after a series of setbacks suffered by Moscow in this conflict and immediately after the explosion of the Crimean bridge.
“Army General Sergei Surovikin has been appointed commander of the combined group of troops in the area of special military operation” in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Telegram on Saturday.
A waltz of generals that continues in Russia. The name of his predecessor was never officially revealed, but according to Russian media it was General Alexander Dvornikov.
“He is feared and respected”
His replacement, Sergei Surovikin, is a well-known soldier in Russia. The 55-year-old served first in Afghanistan and then in the civil war in Tajikistan in the 1990s. He also participated in the second Chechen war in the 2000s.
“He distinguished himself in Syria in 2017 where he was awarded the title of Hero of Russia. The same year, he became commander-in-chief of the Russian aerospace forces”, details Jean-Didier Revoin, BFMTV correspondent in Moscow. .
“He is feared and respected within military circles,” he adds.
Until this recent appointment, Sergei Surovikin headed the Russian forces of the “South” in Ukraine.
losing streak
If Vladimir Putin did not react directly to the explosion on the Crimean bridge this Saturday, this change of general coincides with this setback suffered by the Kremlin. “It’s a way of giving the troops a boost”, analyzes Jean-Didier Revoin.
Admiral Alain Coldefy, a former inspector general of the armies, however, doubts that this will have an impact. “It’s not going to change anything: even if we change the man, behind him, there’s not much,” he explains on the set of BFMTV.
Since early September, Russian forces in Ukraine have faced an extremely effective counteroffensive from Kyiv to the south and northeast of the front line.
Source: BFM TV
