After Several Setbacks, Russia Appoints New General To Lead Ukraine Offensive

Moscow: Russia has suffered a series of military setbacks in Ukraine over the past few weeks. President Vladimir Putin was not amused as Russian Army was roundly criticized.

On Saturday, 55-year-old Sergey Surovikin, born in Siberia’s Novosibirsk, was named as the new general to lead Russia’s Ukraine offensive.

According to Russian defence ministry, Surovikin had been appointed “commander of the Joint Grouping of Forces in the areas of the special military operation.”

Russian forces have been pushed back by Ukraininan soldiers from areas Kremlin had declared to be Russia’s “forever”.

Among other recent setbacks, the 19 km Kerch Strait Bridge, a key link between annexed Crimea and Russian mainland, was damaged in an explosion that resulted in partial collapse of the road connecting the peninsula. Putin has ordered an investigation into the incident.

Last month, Kyiv reclaimed thousands of square kilometres of territory in Kharkiv region in the north-east following a Ukrainian counter-offensive.

Russian troops were also driven out from Kherson region in south, and Lyman transport hub in eastern Ukraine.

(Inputs from AFP, Bloomberg)