The Telegraph: Putin Wants To Bring General Surovikin Back

Because of the Russian Federation's military setbacks in Donbas.

Because the Russian offensive in Donbas is stalling, the Kremlin dictator has decided to resort to a tried-and-true method—intensifying the terror against the civilian population to break their will to resist. Among the priority targets is Kyiv.

He has allegedly entrusted this task to General Sergei Surovikin, who is known as “General Armageddon.” Under his command, the Syrian city of Aleppo was razed to the ground, killing thousands of civilians in the process, writes The Telegraph.

Journalists noted that Putin supported the regime of Bashar al-Assad, while Russian mercenaries turned hospitals, schools, and residential neighborhoods into targets.

“The calculation was simple: to kill, maim, and terrorize civilians—to make their lives so dangerous and unbearable that they would ultimately demand their government end the war. In Syria, this plan failed,” the commentators note, adding that the same is likely to happen in Ukraine—that is, it will all end in failure.

Why does Putin need bridges?

The seven bridges across the Dnieper are obvious targets for the dictator, since Kyiv, like most capitals, is a major hub for road and rail transportation. Cutting the city in two would paralyze transportation between the right and left banks—not only of the city but of Ukraine as a whole. For several weeks now, the Russian Armed Forces have been periodically attacking bridges in Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine.

“This is not how someone who is preparing to end a war behaves. This is how a dictator behaves when preparing the population for a protracted conflict,” British journalists note.

He is confident that he can outmaneuver not only Ukraine but also the West as a whole. Putin does not take human casualties into account, since for the Kremlin, they are a cheap resource.

Since Russia’s population is larger, the dictator has no doubt that he will bring Kyiv to its knees.

At this time, there is no documentary or official confirmation in open, reliable sources that Putin issued a specific, direct order to Surovikin to plan the attacks.

What Should the West Do?

To help Ukraine hold out, the West must sharply increase supplies of anti-aircraft missiles, radars, drones, and electronic warfare systems.

In addition, analysts note, the time has come to consider options that seemed unthinkable just two years ago:

“If Russia begins to deliberately target civilian infrastructure on an industrial scale, NATO must consider using its overwhelming air superiority to protect Ukraine’s civilian population and critical infrastructure—without directly entering the war. This does not necessarily mean the immediate imposition of a traditional no-fly zone. What is needed is a serious analysis of whether NATO air power could help protect certain areas or critical infrastructure in a crisis—especially when the alternative is the unpunished killing of civilians by Russian missiles and drones.”

If Putin realizes that he will face no consequences for strikes on Kyiv, he will continue to carry them out. But if the United Kingdom and Europe demonstrate that Ukrainian cities will be protected, the people will receive support, and the army will get the necessary supplies for as long as needed, Putin will have to acknowledge that further terror is futile.

Sergey Surovikin: Prigozhin’s mutiny and the mysterious disappearance

Sergey Surovikin served as Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Federation’s Aerospace Forces. In October 2022, he was sent to lead a “special operation” in Ukraine. But as early as January 2023, Surovikin was removed from his post as commander and appointed deputy to his successor.

Following a mutiny organized by the founder of the Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin, a purge began in Russia targeting high-ranking military officials suspected of involvement in the mutiny. General Surovikin was reportedly among those detained.

On September 4, 2023, it was reported that General Surovikin had been released from custody following the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin. A source for The New York Times was certain that Sergei Surovikin no longer had any career prospects.

On September 6 of that same year, Anastasia Kashevarova, a former advisor to State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin, stated that the page containing General Sergei Surovikin’s biography had disappeared from the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense’s website. Meanwhile, according to Viktor Zavarzin, a member of the State Duma’s Defense Committee, the general had allegedly been offered a “decent” position “in the CIS.”

On September 15, 2023, it was reported that Sergei Surovikin, former Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation, was in Algeria along with a delegation from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

Sergey Surovikin’s “Achievements” in Syria

It should be noted that General Sergey Surovikin commanded the intensive bombing of the Syrian city of Aleppo. British experts believe he may apply this experience to Ukraine.

The Russian Air Force razed the city to the ground in 2016. Russian President Vladimir Putin named Surovikin a Hero of the Russian Federation for his “successes” in Syria.

Human rights activists hold Surovikin responsible for war crimes in Syria and the killing of civilians. Human Rights Watch has stated that, under his command, the Russian Armed Forces bombed hospitals in Idlib province that were filled with children. Surovikin also approved the use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria.

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