Vladimir Putin has decided remove the commander of the Russian military forces fighting in Ukraine from his post from February 2022 and his place will be occupied by Valeri Guerásimov, current Chief of Staff of the Army.
Gerasimov, 67, takes over from General Sergey Surovikinwho was the one who recommended in November the Russian withdrawal from the Kherson region in northern Ukraine, considered the worst setback suffered by Russian troops in the conflict.
Surovikin arrived in Ukraine with a brutal reputation for bombing civilians in Russia’s campaign in Syria. He also participated in the deaths of three protesters in Moscow during the failed coup against Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991 that hastened the demise of the Soviet Union.
He had been placed in command of Russian forces in Ukraine on October 8 after what has, until now, been a faltering invasion that saw several chaotic withdrawals and other setbacks during the nearly eight months of the war.
Putin put the 56-year-old career soldier in command after an apparent truck bombing of the strategic bridge to the Crimean peninsula embarrassed the Kremlin and created logistical problems for Russian forces.
New in development.
Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.