At the beginning of the week, Russia caused horror with large-scale shelling of Ukraine. The attacks are not only seen as a further escalation by Moscow in the war – they were also the first official act of the new Russian supreme commander Sergei Surovikin. In Kyiv, he was confronted by General Valeryj Saluschnyj, at the head of the Ukrainian armed forces. The two men not only embody different ideologies, but also opposite military schools.
The hardliners have prevailed once again in Moscow. The new commander of Russia’s forces in Ukraine, Sergei Surovikin, is considered more capable, but also one of Russia’s toughest and most ruthless generals.
After seven and a half months of war against the neighboring country with a meager record for Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, the 56-year-old from Novosibirsk should now fix it. In Syria, under his leadership, most of the country had previously been reconquered for President Bashar al-Assad, who was loyal to Moscow.
The military, also known as “General Armageddon”, was then immediately in his element. Two days after his appointment, the Russian army fired rockets at large areas of Ukraine on Monday – even the center of the capital Kyiv was not spared. A total of 20 people died and more than 100 were injured.
“The first day at work is an excellent opportunity to show your best side. It seems to me that I can handle the task very well,” the Russian media then quoted the general as saying.
Contempt for human life runs like a red thread through Surovikin’s military career. When communist putschists brought up tanks in 1991 to stop perestroika, only soldiers from Surovikin’s battalion fired at the demonstrators from the three divisions ordered to Moscow – three people died. The then young captain was initially arrested, but was later released and even promoted to major.
Even an affair about stealing weapons at the “Frunze” military academy could not stop his career. The suspended sentence was later lifted. Within a few years, Surovikin had risen to become chief of staff of a Russian division in the ex-Soviet republic of Tajikistan. On the one hand, his units were considered exemplary and disciplined – at the same time, cases of recruit drudgery and two suicides by subordinate officers made Surovikin’s methods appear at least questionable even then.
In 2017, his Syria mission in the Kremlin made him a celebrated war hero. Human rights activists accuse Surovikin of brutal airstrikes – including on civilian objects such as schools and hospitals. Regardless, Putin awarded him the Order of Hero of Russia for his warfare.
The appointment of Surovikin as supreme commander of the troops in the war against Ukraine, which Moscow continues to refer to as a “special military operation”, is now particularly pleasing to the hardliners close to the Kremlin. For the time being, the ruler of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, who was clearly dissatisfied with the course of the war, or the head of the mercenary unit “Wagner”, Yevgeny Prigozhin, should be appeased. The latter described Surovikin as “the most capable commander in the Russian army”.
Russian military analyst Ruslan Pukhov summed it up to the Financial Times: “He’s a tough guy who knows how to fight a war. He’s a real beast, not some dumb vodka-drinking dude or pseudo-intellectual. He’s a real fighter who sometimes dares to tell the truth to his superiors.”
Zalushny was already at the headquarters of the armed forces when large parts of Ukraine were snatched away after the Russian attack at the end of February. But also under Zalushnyj’s leadership, the Ukrainian army did not give in, launched counter-offensives and already recaptured large parts of the occupied territory. “We will destroy anyone who comes to our country with weapons,” said the military from the Zhytomyr region recently, referring to the partial mobilization ordered by Kremlin chief Putin.
With this determination, Saluschnyj has also gained great respect internationally. This year, “Time Magazine” put him – alongside Zelenskyj – on the top 100 list of the world’s most influential people. Vogue called him a “legendary figure”. Zalushnyj also stands for the Ukrainian army’s turning away from encrusted Soviet structures and for its transformation, achieved with Western help, into a modern army that can defend its country itself against a nuclear power.
The war-torn Ukrainians, on the other hand, appreciate Salushnyj for the fact that he always shows humanity. Photos have been shared many times in the past, showing the general bending over the coffins of fallen soldiers or kneeling in front of a crying mother. In social networks there are own Sauschnyj fan groups with thousands of followers. In a “Time” interview in the summer, Zalushnyj, who is also known for his humorous nature, said: “I often look back and ask myself: ‘How did I bring this on myself?'”
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