Russian Generals In Conflict: Military Command Under Threat

The Russians cannot decide which general is in charge of eastern Ukraine.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu left two high-ranking generals at once to command the offensives of the occupying forces in Ukraine, the heads of the so-called southern and central groups. This may interfere with the operation of the aggressor at the front.

This is the assessment of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW). According to analysts, the Kremlin's command of the war is under threat.

We are talking about the commander of the southern group of troops of the Russian Federation, Army General Sergei Surovikin and his colleague from the central group, Colonel General Aleksandr Lapin.

Shoigu ordered both of them to continue to command the occupying forces on the Eastern Axis, even though a force concentration and effort of this size should only require a single, very senior overall commander.

The Russian Defence Minister Shoigu indicated that Surovikin and Lapin would intensify the offensive actions of the occupiers along multiple axes of advance. At the same time, experts suggest that the pace of the renewed offensive of the Russian army is likely to fluctuate or 'stumble' in the near future.

“Surovikin should in principle be in overall command because he outranks Lapin. Shoigu has not even named Surovikin as the head of Russia’s Southern Military District (SMD) despite the likely ousting of SMD Commander General of the Army Alexander Dvornikov and despite Surovikin’s experience commanding the Southern Grouping in Ukraine. Lapin, in contrast, has been and remains commander of the Central Military District," the ISW explained.

They expressed the opinion that the Kremlin‘s failure to use the operational pause to reorganize the Russian military command structure in Ukraine and its decision to instead retain an ad-hoc command structure is very odd.

Experts are sure that the apparent dual command of two very senior generals over operations in a very small area may hinder Russian operations going forward.