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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Peter Beaumont and Pjotr Sauer

Russia replaces general in charge of Ukraine war in latest military shake-up

Valery Gerasimov Russia Ukraine SOLEDAR Sergei Surovikin Yevgeny Prigozhin Sergei Shoigu Wagner Bakhmut
Vladimir Putin (left) and Valery Gerasimov.
Vladimir Putin (left) and Valery Gerasimov, who has faced sharp criticism from Russia’s hawkish military bloggers for multiple setbacks on the battlefield. Photograph: Mikhail Kireyev/Sputnik/AFP/Getty Images

Russia has appointed Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, as its overall commander for the war in Ukraine, in the latest of several major shake-ups of Moscow’s military leadership during the stumbling invasion of its neighbour.

In a statement on Wednesday, the defence ministry said that Gerasimov’s appointment constituted a “raising of the status of the leadership” of the military force in Ukraine and was implemented to “improve the quality … and effectiveness of the management of Russian forces”.

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