Valery Gerasimov: The ‘military man from head to toe’ tasked by Russia to win the Ukraine war

The Russia war in Ukraine is nearing the year mark — it’s Day 323 — and the Russian defence ministry on Wednesday announced yet another realignment of the commanders leading the battle in Ukraine. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has appointed Valery Gerasimov , Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, as the new commander overseeing Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine. He takes over from Sergey Surovikin , nicknamed “General Armageddon” by the Russian media, just three months after he was appointed to lead Moscow to victory. Surovikin is to remain as Gerasimov’s deputy, the ministry said. Reacting to claims that this may be a demotion or an indication of the Kremlin losing faith in Surovikin, Russian television commentator Sergey Markov said on Telegram, “Generals are moved, shuffled from the front to the headquarters. From headquarters to the front. Surovikin is not punished and Gerasimov is not punished. It’s all one team. Well, of course with competition, which always happens among the top dogs.” The Russian defence ministry said the changes were designed to increase the effectiveness of managing military operations in Ukraine, almost 11 months into the campaign. But who is Gerasimov and how will he measure up to “General Armageddon” as commander in Ukraine? An old warhorse General Valery Gerasimov, 67, was born in the city of Kazan, on the Volga River and capital of the ethnic Tatars. According to a BBC report, he joined the military in 1977 with the Northern Group of Forces. After serving in the Far Eastern and Baltic Military Districts, he became chief of staff of the 58th Army in the North Caucasus Military District in 1999, shortly before the second Chechen war erupted. During the Chechen war, journalist Anna Politkovskaya, a vocal critic of the Chechen conflict who was murdered in 2006, had described Gerasimov as a “man who was able to preserve an officer’s honour”. From 2003 to 2005, he served as the chief of staff of the Far Eastern Military District. In his long military career, he also served as commander of military districts for St. Petersburg and Moscow and the Central Military District, which makes up a large part of central Russia. In November 2012, he was appointed the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and first deputy minister of defence by President Vladimir Putin, replacing Nikolay Makarov. TRTWorld reports that General Gerasimov was the commander of the Russian forces and pro-Russian separatists during the Battle of Ilovaisk in 2014 and he was responsible for the deaths of over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers then. Also read: All of Vladimir Putin’s men: A look inside the inner circle of the Russian president General Gerasimov is believed to be a close ally of President Vladimir Putin and has been one of the main figures involved in planning for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24. General Gerasimov has been sanctioned by various organisations and countries, including the European Union, the US, Switzerland and Australia owing to his actions in the current war in Ukraine. Gerasimov Doctrine The Russian commander, who is described by Russian defence minister Shoigu as a “military man from head to toe”, has attained international fame as he is credited with creating the ‘Gerasimov Doctrine’. In February 2013, General Valery Gerasimov published a 2,000-word article, The Value of Science Is in the Foresight, in the weekly Russian trade paper Military-Industrial Kurier. Gerasimov took tactics developed by the Soviets, blended them with strategic military thinking about total war, and laid out a new theory of modern warfare — one that looks more like hacking an enemy’s society than attacking it head-on. He wrote: “The very ‘rules of war’ have changed. The role of non-military means of achieving political and strategic goals has grown, and, in many cases, they have exceeded the power of force of weapons in their effectiveness… All this is supplemented by military means of a concealed character.” The ‘Gerasimov Doctrine’ — as it is called today — is considered by many to be the most useful articulation of Russia’s modern strategy, a vision of total warfare that places politics and war within the same spectrum of activities. The approach is guerrilla, and waged on all fronts with a range of actors and tools — for example, hackers, media, businessmen, leaks and, yes, fake news, as well as conventional and asymmetric military means. [caption id=“attachment_11974622” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] President Vladimir Putin with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (right) and Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov. Many experts point out that Gerasimov’s appointment signals a power struggle within the military’s top brass. AFP[/caption] Gerasimov and the Ukraine war Many believe that Gerasimov’s appointment signals a new phase in the Kremlin offensive in Ukraine. Defence experts note that the Kremlin hopes with Gerasimov at the helm of affairs, there will be improved coordination in a campaign where different branches military have frequently seemed less than synchronised. “This could make a process of taking military decisions faster, because Surovikin couldn’t give direct commands to the fleet or long-range aviation and had to go through Gerasimov,” Yevgeny Buzhinsky, a retired Russian general and Moscow-based defense analyst, told Bloomberg. “Now Gerasimov himself will take all decisions.” Also read: How ‘General Winter’ can affect the Russia-Ukraine war Rob Lee at King’s College London tweeted that Wednesday’s announcement “reasserts the MoD’s position overseeing the war… this may also partially be a response to Wagner’s increasingly influential and public role in the war.” He also noted that Gerasimov’s ascent might be more political than strategic, and an attempt to silence Wagner’s boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Prigozhin has long been critical of Shoigu and questioning the defence ministry’s tactics in the Ukraine war. However, the head of the mercenary group, had praised General Surovikin recently.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Valery Gerasimov is taking over as the commander of Russian forces in Ukraine. His deputies will be Surovikin, Army General Oleg Salyukov, and Colonel General Alexey Kim. https://t.co/3bWZCMhNkI pic.twitter.com/VBD02Wvz4v

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) January 11, 2023

Mark Galeotti, an analyst at the UK-based military think tank the Royal United Services Institute, suggested that Gerasimov’s appointment may be an indicator of the situation escalating in Ukraine. Galeotti compared Gerasimov’s new role to being handed “the most poisoned of chalices.” A pro-war blogger, going by the name of Rybar, was sceptical whether the switch could help Moscow’s troops achieve success. “Moving components around doesn’t change the overall sum,” Rybar wrote, adding, “We want to believe in a miracle in the eleventh month of the special operation.” It remains to be seen what new tactics Gerasimov may bring to Russia’s offensive as it claims to have taken control of the crucial city of Soledar . With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.