By Lidia Kelly
(Portal) – Russia’s new military reforms respond to possible NATO expansion and the use of Kiev by the “collective West” to wage a hybrid war against Russia, the newly appointed general in charge of Russia’s military operations in Ukraine has said.
Valery Gerasimov also admitted problems with troop mobilization in his first public statements since taking office on January 11, after public criticism forced President Vladimir Putin to censure the military.
The military reforms announced in mid-January have been approved by Putin and may be adjusted to respond to threats to Russia’s security, Gerasimov told news website Argumenty i Fakty in a note published late Monday.
“Today, such threats include the North Atlantic Alliance’s aspirations to expand into Finland and Sweden, as well as the use of Ukraine as a vehicle for waging a hybrid war against our country,” said Gerasimov, who is also the head of Russia’s military general staff.
Finland and Sweden applied to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization last year after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Under Moscow’s new military plan, an army corps will be added to Karelia in northern Russia, which borders Finland.
The reforms also provide for two additional military districts, Moscow and Leningrad, which existed before they were merged in 2010 to become part of the Western Military District.
In Ukraine, Russia will add three motorized rifle divisions as part of combined arms formations in the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions, parts of which Moscow claims annexed in September.
“The main goal of this work is to ensure guaranteed protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country,” Gerasimov said.
“TOGETHER AGAINST THE ENTIRE COLLECTIVE WEST”
Gerasimov added that modern Russia has never experienced such “intensity of military hostilities,” forcing it to conduct offensive operations to stabilize the situation.
The story goes on
“Our country and its armed forces are taking action against the entire collective West today,” Gerasimov said.
In the 11 months since invading Ukraine, Russia has shifted its war rhetoric from an operation to “denazify” and “demilitarize” its neighbor to one of increasing defense against an aggressive West.
Kyiv and its Western allies are calling it an unprovoked act of aggression, and the West is sending ever heavier weapons to Ukraine to help it resist Russian forces.
Gerasimov and the Defense Ministry leadership were harshly criticized for several battlefield setbacks and for Moscow’s failure to secure victory in a campaign that the Kremlin only briefly anticipated.
The country’s mobilization of around 300,000 additional employees in the fall was chaotic.
“The system of mobilization training in our country was not fully adapted to the new modern economic relations,” Gerasimov said. “So I had to fix everything along the way.”
(Writing by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Himani Sarkar)