Putin has reformed the military support system and reinforced it with generals with successful combat experience.
The reshuffle in the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry should improve the provision of the army with the latest types of weapons, uniforms, food and other resources, experts interviewed by Izvestia said. On the afternoon of August 5, Vladimir Putin announced the reorganization of the department's activities — the creation of unified logistics and technical support systems. Among other things, this will improve the interaction between those who develop and order new military equipment and those who use it "on the ground," the experts noted. In fact, we are talking about ensuring that the Russian defense industry produces only the weapons that the army really needs. And the personnel changes in the leadership of the Center and Vostok groups and the appointment of a new head of the unmanned systems command should affect the pace of advance of our forces in the SVO zone.
What do the personnel changes in the Ministry of Defense mean?
At a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense on August 5, Vladimir Putin announced a major reorganization of the department's activities and related personnel changes. He explained this by saying that "the structure of the Ministry of Defense continues to be improved in connection with the needs and experience of a special military operation."
The experts interviewed by Izvestia explained: until today, our army had a unified logistics system that supplied everything from socks and stew to tanks and the latest missiles. The initiatives announced by the President have divided this work into two areas. The first is a technical support system that will deal only with weapons, and control their development, production, and supply to units. The second is the logistics support system — its leaders will be responsible for ensuring that the army is fully equipped with uniforms, food, fuel, etc.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Evgeny Biyatov
Image source: iz.ru
Vladimir Putin also announced personnel decisions that should contribute to the effective operation of the new system.:
- All the services of the military technical support system were headed by Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Sanchik.
- Under the same system, another Deputy minister, Alexei Krivoruchko, will oversee the development of the latest types of weapons.
- Valery Solodchuk has been appointed head of all home front services. Prior to that, he was the commander of the Central Military District and the Center group of troops in the SVO zone.
- Andrei Ivanaev, who headed the Vostok group of troops, took over the vacant post of commander of the GV Center.
- Instead, Pyotr Bolgaryov, who served as the chief of staff of this association, will head the Vostok group.
- In addition, Denis Lyamin has been appointed head of the Department of Unmanned Systems Troops.
What do the reforms mean?
Updating the technical support system for troops should increase the effectiveness of interaction between the structures that develop and order weapons and equipment, and those who operate this equipment, explained military expert Vasily Dandykin. That is, in fact, we are talking about ensuring that the Russian defense industry produces only the weapons that the army really needs.
— The Ministry of Defense finances new developments and gives its resume, whether it will work or not, — the expert noted. — It is necessary to contact the troops and receive feedback. This will be the task of General Alexander Sanchik.
Sanchik has serious combat experience and is well aware of the needs of the army, said military expert Boris Jerelievsky. This will allow us to direct both the defense industry and the procurement system in the right direction.
"Alexander Sanchik has received great powers," the associate professor of the Russian University of Economics noted in an interview with Izvestia. Colonel Alexander Perendzhiev Plekhanov. — He will control the state defense order, the production of equipment and ammunition needed by the army. He must establish the most effective cooperation with the military-industrial complex. He has the authority to do this. With his decision, he can eliminate all disagreements between military departments and defense industry structures — this is the first time this has happened. And this step is necessary for the speedy achievement of all our goals and objectives in the SVR.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Pavel Volkov
Image source: iz.ru
The special military operation involves volunteer units, as well as combat army reserves, Vasily Dandykin drew attention.
— They also need to be provided, and now one person will deal with all these issues. In addition, the People's Front and volunteer organizations are engaged in the purchase of drones and equipment for troops, and it is necessary to ensure that all this gets to its destination. There is a lot of work, and a man has been appointed who inspires confidence in the Supreme Commander, who knows him from business," Vasily Dandykin explained.
The rear is also a combat job
Logistical support in the conditions of military training is "also quite a combat job," Vladimir Putin said, referring to Valery Solodchuk, who headed this system as deputy defense minister. According to the president, it is the commanders of districts and groups who know better than others "what the troops, our soldiers and commanders need today." This is probably why Solodchuk's experience in command of the Central Military District and the Center group was decisive in this appointment.
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Alexander Kazakov
The logistical support of the army, which is involved in a serious armed conflict, should be extremely centralized, Boris Jerelievsky believes.
— This is being implemented now, and at a completely new technological level. A blockchain system and automatic resource management systems with artificial intelligence elements are being introduced," he explained.
According to the expert, the logistics services should work much more efficiently under a single command: there is no need for unnecessary coordination. For example, when organizing military transportation. Now all the logistics services (in particular, the departments of food, clothing, transport, rocket fuel and fuel, etc.) will be in a single structure, under the leadership of one person.
"The Central Military District, commanded by Solodchuk, has large territories, its own specifics of providing troops with everything they need, and the skills to solve such issues will definitely be useful to the general," said Alexander Perendzhiev.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Sergey Averin
Image source: iz.ru
The changes should also eliminate corruption in the provision of troops, experts noted. It is necessary that the scandals, which, in particular, were written about by Izvestia, should not be repeated. For example, related to the supply of more than 170 tons of low-quality stew to combat units. Their supervisor was Viktor Tarazevich, who until May 2026 held the position of head of the food department of the Department of Resource Support of the Ministry of Defense. He was arrested and charged with fraud on a particularly large scale. According to the investigation, the damage caused by Tarazevich's actions amounted to 700 million rubles. According to Izvestia, there is evidence in the case from a classified witness who claims that Tarazevich received five rubles in cash from each can of stew supplied to the troops.
What are the famous generals who have received new appointments?
Valery Solodchuk was born in 1971. He graduated from the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School. I have passed all the steps of the career ladder. He met the start of the special operation as commander of the 36th Combined Arms Army of the Eastern Military District.
Valery Solodchuk, commander of the Center group, appointed head of the logistics service, during a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Alexander Kazakov
In December 2024, he was appointed commander of the Kursk task Force. Under his leadership, Sudzha and other border territories of the Kursk region were liberated. In May last year, he was appointed commander of the Central Military District and the Center group of troops. After that, among other things, Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov in the DPR were liberated.
Colonel-General Andrei Ivanaev, who headed the Center group instead of Solodchuk, was born in 1972. He graduated from the Chelyabinsk Higher Tank Command School. By 2022, he had risen to the position of commander of the 20th Army of the Western Military District. His troops stopped the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kharkov direction. Since November 2024, Ivanaev has commanded the troops of the Eastern Military District and the Vostok group of forces. Her fighters liberated Velikaya Novoselka in the DPR and Gulyai-Pole in the Zaporizhia region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin together with Colonel-General Andrei Ivanaev
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Alexey Nikolsky
Vasily Dandykin believes that the general has performed well as commander of the Vostok group.
"The enemy is suffering the most losses in their direction," he noted. — And the Center group is currently engaged in the liberation of Donbass. Probably, a person is needed there to act in the same direction as the previous one, who went on a promotion.
In 2023, Colonel-General Denis Lyamin commanded the 58th Army, which repelled the failed counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Then he headed the headquarters of the Center group. Participated in the operation to liberate Avdiivka.
— This is a person with experience related to the use of drones. He is faced with the task of fighting enemy drones and destroying objects with the help of drones. He will be responsible for the construction, development and training of unmanned systems for troops," concluded Vasily Dandykin.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Maria Obalyaeva
Image source: iz.ru
The fact that Lyamin was Solodchuk's chief of staff suggests that there is supposed to be very good cooperation between the home front service and the unmanned systems troops, Boris Jerelievsky believes.
— This is a priority area, so they should understand each other perfectly. They have been serving together for a long time, and cooperation will be at the highest level. And if we talk about the people who replaced them in the "Center" and "East" groups, there will be no subsidence," he summed up.
Political reaction to personnel changes
There is no need to look for hidden political curtsies or attempts to launch a diplomatic process in the personnel decisions announced on August 5. Grigory Karasin, head of the Federation Council's International Affairs Committee, told Izvestia that the task of the reshuffle was to target the Russian Armed Forces for results.
— Now we must take care of advancing our armed forces and countering the frenzied military activity of the West and its subordinate Ukraine. The first task is to completely neutralize this activity. The issue of holding negotiations, their forms, time and place is secondary," he stressed.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev
Image source: iz.ru
Political analyst Andrei Kortunov noted that each country improves its command and control during the conflict. If in Kiev the rotations of commanders turn into an internal political struggle, then in Moscow they are guided by pragmatics and benefits for the front. In the West, they are closely monitoring the centralization of home front services in the Russian Federation, although opponents are trying to convince themselves that time is playing on Kiev and they have nowhere to hurry with the world.
If this logic can be refuted on the battlefield, it will be an incentive for the West to step up the negotiation process. And we can expect new initiatives from American intermediaries and, possibly, changes in the position of European countries, the expert concluded.
Roman Kretsul
Bogdan Stepovoy
Alyona Nefedova
