Putin’s Musical Chairs With Russian Commanders: Surovikin Wins

For the third time in less than eight months, Russian President Vladimir Putin has brought in a new commander, General Sergei Surovikin, to lead Russian forces in Ukraine. It wasn’t that long ago, in April, Putin appointed General Aleksandr V. Dvornikov, dubbed “The Butcher of Syria,” to command the Russian army in Ukraine. Dvornikov got the name for his preference for destroying Syrian towns with persistent and devastating artillery and missile attacks. At that time, Liberty Nation explained the change of command by the Russians as the result of frustration by Putin and the Kremlin over the failure of Russian forces to make progress in meeting the “special military operation” objectives of subduing Kyiv and the Donbas Region.

However, there were few battlefield successes, and more setbacks, for Dvornikov. So, it’s not surprising that reports soon circulated in Ukraine that Dvorn…