Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to reshuffle the leadership of Russia’s military amid a stalled campaign in Ukraine, while Moscow has changed its commander at least five times since the invasion began a year ago, The Moscow Times reported.

After a series of explosions on the front line, including in the captured city of Mariupol in the spring, the Ministry of Defense of Russia decided to change the subordination of the air defense forces of the army.

According to the Russian news agency TASS, citing two sources close to the military, the air defense system has now been transferred from the Ground Forces to the Air and Space Forces.

The air defense forces, whose task is to escort and cover combat units, will be headed by General Serhiy Surovikin, nicknamed “General Armageddon” by the Russian media for his brutality, the Air Force commander who led Russian troops from the Ukrainian front. from October to January.

Under Surovikin’s command, Russian forces launched missile strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and withdrew from the west bank of the Dnieper, leaving Kherson, the only regional center captured since the invasion began.

A 56-year-old veteran of the wars in Chechnya and Syria who was personally decorated by President Vladimir Putin, Surovikin argued that the withdrawal, officially completed two days later, would allow Moscow to salvage equipment and redeploy forces – estimated by the US to be up to 30,000. troops — in offensive operations on other fronts.

Russian Defense Minister Serhiy Shoigu appointed Valery Gerasimov as the commander of Moscow’s “special military operation” joint forces group in Ukraine in January.

Mysterious shots in Mariupol

It became known about the changes in the leadership of the Air Defense Forces shortly after the Armed Forces of Ukraine allegedly began to strike Russian facilities in Mariupol, 80 km from the front line.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense said in an assessment on Tuesday that the city, almost completely destroyed by war, had been hit by at least 14 strikes in the past week.

Ammunition depots near the airfield, fuel depots, and a military base set up at a steel plant in the port city were attacked.

The strikes worry Moscow as a major problem for Russia’s military, British intelligence said, because Russia was convinced that Mariupol, a major logistics hub for the occupiers, was out of reach of Ukrainian forces.

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