Gerasimov was appointed chief of the general staff and deputy defence minister by Putin on Nov. Today, Gerasimov turned out to be persuasive. "He is trying to reshuffle the pieces and is therefore giving chances to those he finds persuasive. "Putin is looking for effective tactics against the background of a 'creeping' defeat." "Gerasimov was handed command of the military operation because of Surovikin's serious setbacks," she said. Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of the R.Politik analysis firm, was unconvinced that the change would make much difference. "'General Armageddon' is still at the centre of decision-making, but in a much less vulnerable position." "Now the General Staff is directly and uncompromisingly responsible for absolutely everything," said Semyon Pegov, a Russian military blogger who uses the name Wargonzo. Shoigu vowed on Tuesday to build a deeper arsenal of weapons, bolster aviation technology to better evade air defences and improve drone production.īy putting Gerasimov in direct command, Putin can send a signal to the West about his determination to win the war, reinforce the standing of the army relative to Prigozhin and Kadyrov's militias and, not least, make his top general more accountable for the day-to-day conduct of the invasion. "The appointment of Gerasimov means that all means of destruction in the arsenals of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation - without exception - can be used."
He said Gerasimov's arrival increased the likelihood that Russia might use battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine: Igor Korotchenko, a hardline military expert who is given generous space on state television, said Putin's decision stemmed from Ukraine's receipt of longer-range heavy weapons from the West and the prospect that it would soon receive Western armoured fighting vehicles and possibly battle tanks.
Gerasimov's deputies will be Army General Sergei Surovikin, the previous theatre commander, appointed three months ago and nicknamed "General Armageddon" Army General Oleg Salyukov and Deputy Chief of the General Staff Colonel-General Alexei Kim. The defence ministry said the seniority of the commander in charge of the "special military operation" reflects the expansion of its scale and the need to improve organisation and command.
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