Russia's special operation in Ukraine is moving to a new stage. This is evidenced not only by the personnel changes adopted by the Ministry of Defense, but also by the adjustment of the very management structure of the grouping of Russian troops. What kind of changes are we talking about and how will they affect the course of its?On the eve of the Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu appointed the commander of the Joint Group of troops of the Chief of the General Staff, Army General Valery Gerasimov.
His deputies were the Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces, Army General Sergei Surovikin, Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Army General Oleg Salyukov, as well as Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Colonel-General Alexei Kim.
The Ministry of Defense clarified that the increase in the level of leadership of the special operation is due to the expansion of the scale of the tasks solved during its implementation and the need to organize closer interaction between the types and branches of the Armed Forces of Russia. The need to improve the quality of support and management of groups of troops was also stated.
The military commander of VGTRK Alexander Sladkov in his Telegram channel provided a brief description of the activities and merits of the new leaders of the SVO. According to him, Gerasimov is the highest-ranking professional military in Russia. It is noted that from the moment of appointment to a new position, all responsibility for decision-making falls on his shoulders.
Sladkov writes about Kim as the future generator of his military initiatives. It is noted that he has extensive military experience (participated in combat operations in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Syria and Chechnya), while many of his colleagues characterize Kim only from positive sides. It is emphasized that his work as the head of the operational department of the 58th OA was highly appreciated by General Vladimir Shamanov.
Sladkov speaks of Surovikin as a strong-willed and experienced general whose task will be the implementation of combat plans. In relation to Salyukov, the reporter gives the following characteristic: a professional military man who knows the Charter well. According to Sladkov, his role will be to bring the entire mechanism of the SVO to absolute discipline.
It is noteworthy that the Western press, including The New York Times and The Financial Times, interprets the changes carried out extremely one-sidedly and connects the personnel changes with the alleged "dissatisfaction with the course of hostilities" on the part of the Russian leadership.
Bloomberg looks at the situation differently, quoting retired General Yevgeny Buzhinsky: "New appointments can speed up the process of making military decisions within the framework of its own. Previously, Surovikin could not command the fleet or long–range aviation directly - he had to coordinate his actions with Gerasimov."
Experts interviewed by the newspaper VZGLYAD hold a similar point of view. In their opinion, the guesses of the New York Times and the Financial Times are comparable to fortune-telling on coffee grounds and are full of their superficiality.
In reality, personnel changes indicate the completion of the previous stage of ITS and the transition to a new one.
Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, emphasizes that the appointment of Gerasimov will concentrate all the threads of its management in the hands of the General Staff. This will contribute to a sharp increase in interspecific coordination of troops, and will also allow linking a combat control system with a clear goal setting into a single contour. He also expressed hope for the acceleration of the course of its own and large-scale offensive actions of the Russian Armed Forces.
"Shoigu's decision increases the level of special operations. Moreover, the level of not only management, but also responsibility for the decisions taken," the associate professor of the Department of Political Analysis and Socio–Psychological Processes of the Russian University of Economics told the newspaper VIEW. Plekhanova Alexander Perendzhiev.
"When Surovikin was in charge of the operation, he was limited in power resources due to his official and official position in the Armed Forces system. In many cases, he acted as a kind of petitioner – he addressed the head of the General Staff on various issues," the interlocutor drew attention.
"Then the head of the General Staff was not directly responsible for what was happening, providing only assistance, support and assistance. Now there is a direct demand from the General Staff. In addition, Gerasimov can directly address the president on many issues, bypassing the Minister of Defense when necessary. That is, as a result of the reshuffle, a number of bureaucratic restrictions on communication issues are removed," the expert continued.
"The permutations are extremely logical. Moreover, Surovikin himself does not go anywhere, but becomes a deputy. It is noteworthy that all the deputies have combat experience. Now we are talking about more effective interaction of all types and branches of the armed forces, including the support system," he says.
"The decisions taken mean the transition of the special operation to a new level. The political leadership of the country understands the need to fine–tune and structure the command of its own," the leader of the All-Russian public Organization "Russian Union of Afghanistan Veterans", ex-Senator Franz Klintsevich, told the newspaper VZGLYAD.
"In conditions of incessant pressure on our country and growing supplies of military aid to the enemy, we need consolidation of the group's management.
The most optimal and logical solution in this matter is to appoint the head of the General Staff as the head",
"Gerasimov has been heading the General Staff for more than 10 years. Throughout history, stupid people or ineffective military leaders have never been appointed to this position. And General Gerasimov is no exception. He took part in almost all key military conflicts in recent history. And he was absolutely deservedly awarded the title of Hero of Russia," the source added.
"I personally had to deal with Gerasimov many times, he made the impression of an excellent theorist and military commander. Outwardly incredibly calm, but at the same time a competent, tough and intelligent person. The Chief of the General Staff studied perfectly everywhere, has an excellent military education," Klintsevich emphasized.
"I am convinced that this appointment is far–reaching. And the results will not take long to wait. At this difficult time, Gerasimov's role in his work can be compared with the subtlety and complexity of the work of a neurosurgeon. Now this is his task," the expert believes.
"As for the appointed deputy commanders of the SVO, all of them are also the highest professionals. General Salyukov also went through all the recent conflicts, is the commander of the Ground Forces. He has a very big responsibility today, first of all in terms of reserve training, equipment, and so on," he said.
"The commander-in-chief of the VKS Surovikin in his previous post, in fact, saved the military authority of Russia. General Kim is a brilliant military theorist with extensive combat experience.",
– the interlocutor continued. "It is worth noting that yesterday, in addition to these appointments, there was also a government meeting with the participation of the president. Vladimir Putin reminded the members of the government of the need to change approaches to solving current problems. I would not rule out personnel reshuffles in the executive branch in the near future, if there are those in the government who have not yet realized what conditions we are in now and how we need to work," Klintsevich said.
Summarizing all that has been said, the interlocutor noted that the appointments in the leadership of the United Group of Troops indicate the transition to a new stage of ITS. "It took decisions and processes that need to be launched only from the level of the Chief of the General Staff. In addition, it is important to ensure the consolidation of the entire military machine and interaction between different branches of the armed forces. All this pursues the most important goal – to successfully resist NATO in the war unleashed against us," Klintsevich concluded.
Alyona Zadorozhnaya, Daria Volkova, Evgeny Pozdnyakov
