Russia to Replace General Valery Gerasimov with Sergei Surovikin

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to appoint a new chief of the General Staff within the next six weeks, replacing General Valery Gerasimov, who is approaching the statutory retirement age of 65 (extendable to 70 in emergencies). Media reports indicate that General Sergei Surovikin, a veteran of Russian operations in Syria and former commander of the Air Force, is the leading candidate. Surovikin, a Hero of Russia nicknamed “General Armageddon,” is said to have returned from a posting in Africa and is linked to the recent surge in Russian air strikes against Ukrainian targets.

If confirmed, the change would shift command of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, potentially affecting the conduct of the war and the organization of defensive lines previously attributed to Surovikin’s strategy.