Putin Replaces Russia’s Top Commander in Ukraine

Valery Gerasimov

“Russian President Vladimir Putin replaced the commander of his country’s forces in Ukraine.

Putin named Gen. Valery Gerasimov to take over Russia’s troops, NBC News reported. Gerasimov replaces Sergey Surovikin, the Russian defense ministry announced Wednesday on Telegram.

Three months ago, Surovikin became the first person to be put in sole command of the campaign since Putin began his unprovoked attack on Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Surovikin, nicknamed “Armageddon,” had a reputation for “total ruthlessness,” and his willingness “to vigorously execute any orders trounced any potential questions” about his checkered qualifications.

Surovikin had replaced two Russian senior military commanders fired after Ukraine’s largely successful counteroffensive in the southern Kherson region and portions of the area surrounding Kharkiv in the northeast.

The news on Gerasimov being named came on a day in which Ukraine’s military denied that Russian forces had taken control of the eastern town of Soledar.

Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern military command, told Ukrainian television that Ukrainian forces had not allowed Russian forces to break through front lines.”

Comment: This is like succession to command on a Klingon War Bird. I wonder how long this one will last. pl

Putin Replaces Russia’s Top Commander in Ukraine | Newsmax.com

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26 Responses to Putin Replaces Russia’s Top Commander in Ukraine

  1. Leith says:

    General Surovikin is not in Siberia yet. According to the Moscow Times he will be a Gerasimov Deputy, one of three: “Surovikin will work alongside two other generals, Oleg Salyukov and Alexei Kim, according to the statement.

    https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/01/11/valery-gerasimov-appointed-commander-of-russian-forces-in-ukraine-a79924

  2. Whitewall says:

    All these Russian generals have one thing in common I think:
    Stay in uniform
    Stay upright
    Stay breathing

  3. Fourth and Long says:

    Thinking is this move may very possibly be due to the recent success of the musicians. Wagner. But no one really knows. Lots of interesting discussions in Telegram but the people writing simply don’t know. Examples: a- The sum does not change if you rearrange the terms. b- a Russian learned to change clothes. c- because Putin doesn’t know what to do. d-so Kherson can be hung on Suvorikin.

    This is causing a stir. Written by a very very knowledgeable person and recent insider 4 days ago. You need to translate via app or browser.
    ————–
    Sergei Markov: “Russia has already taken several steps towards its defeat”

    A well-known political scientist on the likelihood of the liquidation of the Russian state and why the elites are ready to accept any outcome of the special operation
    https://www.business-gazeta.ru/article/579007

  4. Fred says:

    I was thinking it was a bit like Lincoln firing commanders of the Army of the Potomac.

  5. Bill Roche says:

    The say Grant drank. Does Gerasimov drink?

  6. Sam says:

    It is 322 days since the Russian invasion of #Ukraine began. Today, an examination of the announcement that Russian General #Gerasimov ‘is taking charge’ of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

    https://twitter.com/warinthefuture/status/1613330279825014784?s=21

    Interesting contrast. Russia has kept changing the commander of their invasion forces. OTOH, Ukraine has had the the same commander of the Ukrainian military.

    What does it say about command leadership of both armies?

  7. Poul says:

    What change has taken place?

    https://twitter.com/RWApodcast/status/1613206441401139201

    Surovikin is still in charge of the same task.

    • borko says:

      Putin gave Gerasimov a chance to take ownership of the military part of the whole Ukraine invasion mess.

  8. Leith says:

    The Kremlin let Suvorikin down easy. Less than two weeks ago Putin personally awarded him the Order of Saint George, Russia’s highest military decoration. In the past it has been given to Generalissimo Suvorov, Field Marshall Kutuzov, Tsars, Grand Dukes, Foreign Emperors, and Wellington.

    https://www.rbc.ru/politics/31/12/2022/63b035629a79475d6b310ccc

    • TTG says:

      Leith,

      This may be more palace intrigue than any great displeasure with Suvorikin’s performance in the field. Gerasimov was key to putting together the last ten months of this Russian crapfest. Why would Putin and/or Shoigu think he (Gerasimov) would suddenly be able win this war?

      • Fourth and Long says:

        Comment by Rob Lee makes a great deal of sense. From link:
        https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64235713
        Russia’s defence ministry said the decision to replace Gen Surovikin was aimed at organising “closer contact between different branches of the armed forces and improving the quality and effectiveness of the management of Russian forces”.
        But the move has been seen by some as a sign that he may have gained too much power.
        “As the unified commander in Ukraine, Surovikin was becoming very powerful, and was likely bypassing [Russian Defence Minister Sergei] Shoigu and Gerasimov when talking to Putin,” military analyst Rob Lee wrote on Twitter.

      • Leith says:

        I’m stumped. Like F&L’s comment from Rob Lee I’ve also seen chatter on twitter and telegram that the reshuffling and putting Gerasimov in charge was just to get better lines of communication, but that Surovikin would still be in charge.

        On the other hand the Kremlin had to respond to the New Years Eve disaster at Makiivka where >400 Russkie newly mobilized troops were KIA under Surovikin’s watch. That happened on the eve of the day that he received the St George. Plus the terror campaign on Ukrainian cities by Surovikin is faltering as Shahed suicide drones and cruise missiles are being shot down by the score every night.

        Plus there is the video out there of Wagnerites calling Gerasimov a homo and a MF. So is this reshuffle a warning to Prigozhin?

        • Fourth and Long says:

          Leith & TTG,
          Insomnia led me to reading numerous comments on Ru Telegram channels of very recent vintage. My impression: Prigozhin has become immensely popular recently with an average sort of GI-Ivan. (Guys who I’m certain I’d sympathize with strongly in everyday life – same people I watched football and baseball with all my life, except in an American setting). Calls for him to “assume the monarchy” and similar. They love that he and his guys kick but*, plays chess with everyday soldiers etc. So it may be very simple: he is becoming hugely popular and this recent set of appointments is a countermeasure. Don’t forget – Harry Truman the haberdasher (and mob frontman according to legend) from KC became president – and he was a pleasant sort, n’est pas?

  9. Whitewall says:

    What if the ‘Wagnerites’ are simply lying about succeeding to gain favor with V. Putin? It’s not as if nobody has lied to him about most everything over the last twenty or so years.

  10. Fourth and Long says:

    48 minutes of narrated film -18 hours ago. Fairly objective.
    ————-
    The battle for Bakhmut: Russia’s bloody bid for Ukraine breakthrough • FRANCE 24 English.
    https://youtu.be/H4dIJnWnILU

  11. Babeltuap says:

    Wish me luck Pat. I’m shipping out:

    https://legionofukraine.com/

    Maybe some of you will join me on here and we get in the same trench.

  12. blue peacock says:

    Chinese officials have blasted Vladimir Putin as ‘crazy’ and claimed Beijing thinks Russia is going to fail in its war in Ukraine and will emerge from the conflict as a ‘minor power’.

    Several Chinese officials warned Beijing must not ‘simply follow Russia’ and blindly support the war in Ukraine in a rare rebuke of Putin’s barbaric invasion.

    The officials said they believe that Russia will fail to win the war in Ukraine – and the impact of such an expensive and deadly conflict will see Moscow emerge as a ‘minor power’ with a diminished economy and a poor standing on the world stage.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11627109/China-thinks-Russia-going-fail-Ukraine-emerge-conflict-minor-power.html

    At this stage it is not clear to me what the denouement of the Spring/Summer increase in tempo will likely be. Both sides have lost a lot of people and heavy weaponry. The only remaining question is who breaks whose will and when? Putin is backed into a corner. He can’t end the war by withdrawing without losing his own head. So in many ways it is personally existential for him. Zelensky is also in a tough spot. How long will there be willingness in the West & particularly the US, to finance & arm this war? That is what Putin is counting on and the reason for the increased propaganda.

  13. A. Pols says:

    The postings on this blog are often in stark contrast to those on other blogs and differ so much as to bring to mind the parable of the blind men feeling the skin of an Elephant and try to describe what it is… Blogs whose subject material is international political/military affairs seem to have one thing in common: they are mostly run by men who are former military men with the operative word being “former”.
    The various blogs have so many different takes about the Russo/Nato conflict that it seems they are talking about entirely different entities. I suppose it’s all about predictions, especially about the future (Yogi Berra), and none of these folks, me included, truly knows what the outcome is going to be. I tend to think the Russians will prevail, just because industrial wars tend to favor the “guys with the mostest”, but most of blogs like this one tend to favor the idea expressed in a sign I saw at the Naval Academy back in the sixties: “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight that counts, but the size of the fight in the dog”. This was also what the Japanese thought in 1942 and we all know how that went. Maybe they and the Germans read to much Schopenhauer…LOL.
    They also tend to think that Russia’s govt. is fragile, shaky, and lacks popular support. Hence the focus on getting rid of Putin so that things will start going our way. I do tend to think one way or another things will be clearer in 6 months, but I thought that 6 months ago. So I don’t know anything except that once it’s over everyone will say they all saw it coming…
    Cheers

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