Putin Announces Reshuffling of Top Military Leadership
The president appointed new operational commanders in Ukraine, a unified logistics chief and a head for the newly established drone warfare branch.
On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin announced a major reshuffle of top military leadership in Russia. The changes included appointing new operational commanders in Ukraine, establishing a unified logistics chief, and forming a new branch of drone warfare. Putin cited the need to adapt the Defense Ministry's organizational structure to address the ongoing needs and lessons learned from the special military operation in Ukraine.
Colonel General Denis Lyamin was appointed as the head of Russia's newly established Unmanned Systems Forces. Additionally, Putin reorganized frontline leadership in eastern and southern Ukraine, naming Colonel General Andrei Ivanayev as commander of the "Center" group of forces and Lieutenant General Pyotr Bolgarev as commander of the "East" group.
The "Center" grouping's objective was described by Putin as "critical and high-stakes," with the aim to capture the entire eastern Donetsk region. The "East" grouping was praised for its "dynamic and aggressive" advance across southern Donetsk and partially occupied Zaporizhzhia.
Former "Center" commander Colonel General Valery Solodchuk was appointed Deputy Defense Minister, overseeing rear support, logistical services, and unifying supply and transportation operations. Solodchuk, who is listed as a wanted war criminal by Ukraine's HUR military intelligence agency, was told by Putin that no one understands what troops and soldiers on the ground need better than the frontline district and task force commanders.
Solodchuk's appointment was met with controversy, as Ukraine's HUR military intelligence agency accuses his forces of committing war crimes during the early 2022 attack on Kyiv.
The reshuffle came after Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov launched the military's largest administrative reform in more than a decade. The changes in leadership come amid ongoing challenges faced by Russia, including unprecedented difficulties in the military operation. The Moscow Times, a news organization, has faced repression in Russia, being designated as an undesirable organization and criminalized for its work, which puts its staff at risk of prosecution.
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