© Archyde.com. Russian Army Changes!Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov will assume the post of commander-in-chief of the joint forces of special military operations
News from the Financial Associated Press on January 12 (edited by Niu Zhanlin)On Wednesday (January 11), local time, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation and Army General Shoigu made a new appointment to the leadership of the Russian Special Military Operations. commander in chief.
The Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement saying: “On January 11, 2023, Russian Defense Minister General Shoigu ordered the appointment of General Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Regional Joint Forces for Special Military Operations.”
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the new appointments are related to a wider scope 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, will solve all issues related to the security of armed forces and troops participating in special operations, and will 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 Armed Forces.
On October 8, 2022, General Sulovkin was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Regional Joint Forces of Russia’s special military operations against Ukraine. This is the first time this position has been appointed. Before that, he was in command of the Special Military Operations Group “South”. Sulovkin is a professional soldier, from the special forces all the way to the head of the General Directorate of Operations of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and the commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces. He has participated in military operations in Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Chechnya.
After Sulovkin was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the regional joint forces of Russia’s special military operations against Ukraine, the tactical coordination among the various departments of the Russian army became more consistent. On December 31 last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally awarded Surovkin the Order of St. George, Third Class.
Currently, the Russian and Ukrainian armies are fighting fiercely in Soledar, and the Russian army seems to have the upper hand. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, units of the Russian Airborne Forces have blocked Soledar from the north and south, and commandos are fighting inside the city.
Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, Anna Malyar, said earlier that fierce fighting was continuing. The analysis believes that if the Russian army wins Soledar, it will have strategic, economic and symbolic significance. Seizing Soledar is a “stepping stone” for Russia to win the Donbas region.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that we should not rush, let us wait for the official statement, but we did make progress.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the fighting in Soledar is still going on, and we will do our best to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses without stopping, and thank all partners who have helped in this regard.