Valery Gerasimov, who serves as chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the First Deputy Minister of Defense, has been named head of a joint troop group as part of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. This appointment places him at the helm of a combined force structure, with a mandate to coordinate across multiple branches in the ongoing campaign.
The Defense Ministry’s Telegram channel carried the notice that Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov had been appointed Commander of the Joint Troop Group (Forces). The reshuffle also elevated Sergei Surovikin, the Commander-in-Chief of the Air-Space Forces, and Oleg Salyukov, Commander-in-Chief of the Army Ground Forces, along with Colonel General Alexei Kim, the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, to new deputy roles within the same command structure.
Expanding the scope of the mission
The military department explained that the personnel changes reflect a broader scope of tasks in Ukraine. The leadership move aims to strengthen oversight across the armed forces, improve the integration among different service branches, and elevate the quality of all types of support as well as the efficiency of command and control for the joint troop groups. This approach is described as a strategic step to ensure better coordination and execution on the ground.
Earlier, on January 9, a member of the State Duma Defense Committee, Lieutenant General Andrei Gurulev, discussed how changes in combat tactics were influencing the operation. He noted a shift toward methods that emphasize learning from mistakes and adapting to evolving conditions. The remarks highlighted the potential impact of partial mobilization on the campaign, including the creation of new units and subunits that could alter the course of hostilities.
Gurulev also credited improvements in intelligence with enhancing overall effectiveness. He attributed progress in intelligence gathering to better tools and increased collaboration with civil society, while acknowledging that space-based capabilities had begun to play a more visible role. He suggested that the situation inside the country required stronger counterintelligence efforts and pointed to the ongoing relevance of initiatives that detect traitors and inactive intelligence personnel in new regions of Russia.
Surovikin’s tenure in context
The Defense Ministry first announced the post of joint troop group commander on October 8, 2022. Surovikin, who previously led the Southern Group of Forces involved in Ukraine, was selected for the role. He led the group for approximately three months, during which Ukraine’s energy infrastructure faced significant disruption. The period also included a controversial decision to reposition forces on the left bank of the Dnieper and withdraw from Kherson, a move that shaped subsequent phases of the conflict.
Gerasimov’s professional trajectory
Gerasimov’s military career began at the Kazan Suvorov Military School and includes service during the Chechen conflicts in the early 2000s. In December 2007, he was appointed commander of the Leningrad Military District, and in February 2009 he became commander of the Moscow Military District. In 2010, he was appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff, followed by a stint as Chief of the General Staff beginning in 2012. The sequence reflects a long arc of leadership within the Russian armed forces, marked by responsibilities across regional commands and strategic planning at the highest levels.
At the time, other reporting noted personnel changes within the Ground Forces. According to sources, Colonel General Alexander Lapin was named Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces after commanding the Center group in Ukraine. Public commentary from prominent figures in Russia included criticisms from Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader, and Evgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner group, reflecting the high visibility and controversy surrounding senior command decisions during the conflict.