by Claudio Del Frate
Thanks to his contribution, Assad regained control of 50% of the territory. In his career the “blot” of involvement in the failed attempt to depose Gorbachev
A senior officer decorated for the war in Syria, a resume that also showcases aerospace experience, a name already on the “black list” of Western-sanctioned characters. Here’s a summary of the profile of General Sergey Surovkin, the man Putin entrusted today with command of the “special operation” in Ukraine that sees Russia retreating in both Donbass and the Kherson region, and who today suffered the setback the bombing of the bridge in Crimea. News of the change was confirmed by the Ministry of Defense on Telegram. The change in command was sudden but not unexpected, and the Kremlin hopes the new general can turn the tide of a conflict far from Moscow’s original expectations.
Surovkin, 56, Siberian, has a very varied cursus honorum. After first serving in Afghanistan at the rank of captain, the senior officer risked a career break in 1991 when he was arrested (and imprisoned for seven months) for his part in the August coup designed to oust Mikhail Gorbachev, with a pardon from Boris Yeltsin, convinced that he limited himself to obeying orders from above. In 2004 he commanded an infantry battalion stationed in Chechnya.
The “qualitative leap” comes in 2017, when he takes command of the Russian forces stationed in Syria: he is credited with turning the tide of the conflict because, under his leadership, the Queen of Assad manages to regain control of 50% of Syrian territory, which allows him to obtain the title “Hero of the Russian Federation”. As Surovkin continues to oversee operations in Syria, he is appointed head of the Moscow Aerospace Forces.
In June 2022 he became commander of operations in Ukraine in the southern sector and as of today is the number one in the Russian armed forces throughout the occupied territory. The changing of the guard at the head of the Moscow army had been in the air for days, especially after the defeats on the ground in Donbass.
October 8, 2022 (change October 8, 2022 | 17:12)
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