© Reuters Russian Army Changes!Chief of General Staff Gerasimov to take over as Commander-in-Chief of Joint Special Military Operations Forces
January 12 Financial Associated Press News (Edited by Niu Zhanlin)On Wednesday (January 11), local time, the Defense Minister of the Russian Federation and Army General Shoigu appointed a new commander-in-chief of Russia’s special military operations.
The Russian Defense Ministry released a statement which said: “On January 11, 2023, Russian Defense Minister General Shoigu ordered the appointment of General Gerasimov, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, as commander-in-chief of the regional joint forces for special military operations”.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the new appointments are related to a wider range of tasks and the need for closer coordination between the various military branches and services in order to increase the combat effectiveness of the troops.
Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia will improve its defense capabilities, resolve all issues related to the security of the armed forces and troops participating in special operations, and continue to implement large-scale special programs .
The former commander in chief, general Surovkin, will become one of Gerasimov’s deputies, the other two deputy commanders will be general Salyukov, commander in chief of the army, and general Alexei Kim, deputy chief of staff of the Russian Army. Strength.
On October 8, 2022, General Sulovkin was appointed commander-in-chief of the regional joint military forces of Russia’s special military operations against Ukraine, the first time this post has been appointed. Prior to that, he was in command of Special Military Operations Group “South”. Surovikin is a professional soldier, from special forces up to the head of the General Directorate of Operations of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces, participated in military operations in Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Chechnya.
After Sulovkin was appointed commander-in-chief of the joint regional forces of Russia’s special military operations against Ukraine, the tactical coordination between the various departments of the Russian military has become more coherent. On December 31 last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally awarded Surovkin the Order of St. George of the third class.
Currently, the Russian and Ukrainian armies are fighting fiercely in Soledar and the Russian military seems to have the upper hand. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, units of the Russian Airborne Forces have blocked Soledar from the north and south and the commandos are fighting inside the city.
Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Anna Malyar earlier said that fierce fighting continues. The analysis believes that if the Russian military wins Soledar, it will have strategic, economic and symbolic significance. The conquest of Soledar is a “stepping stone” for Russia to conquer the Donbas region.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters we shouldn’t rush, we await the official statement, but we have made progress.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the fighting in Soledar is still going on and we will do our best to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses without stopping and thanking all partners who have contributed in this regard.
