Who is Sergei Surovikin? Russia 'Armageddon General' to Lead Ukraine War After Multiple Setbacks

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A new general has been appointed by Russia to lead its Ukraine offensive after multiple setbacks. General Sergei Surovikin is the new commander of the Joint Grouping of Forces in the areas of the special military operation.

So far, he was leading the South forces in Ukraine. Born in Siberia's Novosibirsk, Surovikin earned his stripes as the General Armageddon'. He joined the Russian military in the 1990s and served during conflicts in Tajikistan and Chechnya. He also has combat experience in Syria, where Russia supported the government of Bashar al-Assad.

Surovikin Has Combat Experience In Tajikistan and Chechnya

He has also served as the Chief of the Main Operational Administration of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces; from January 2010, he also held the position of the Chief of Staff of the Volga-Urals Military District and later the Central Military District.

Surovikin Was Also Posted In Syria

He graduated from the Omsk Higher Combined-Arms Command School in 1987, later with honors from the Military Academy named after M.V. Frunze and the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Federation's Armed Forces.

Russia Faced Setbacks On The Frontlines

The name of his predecessor has never been officially revealed, but some Russian media said it was General Alexander Dvornikov — also a general of the Second Chechen War and Russian commander in Syria, according to AFP.

The appointment comes after Russia faced setbacks on the front. Ukrainian forces have thrown Russian troops out of much of northeastern Kharkiv. Ukraine has retaken over a thousand kilometers of the Kherson region from the Russian troops in early September.

The southern Kherson and the Lyman transport hub in eastern Ukraine were also captured by President Volodymyr Zelensky's soldiers. Russian troops' pullback from multiple regions drew criticism from top commanders. Last week, Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechen leader, also demanded to fire of the top commander while some lawmakers asked military elites to reveal the exact situation on the frontlines.