Putin meets with his top military commanders to rethink Russia’s strategy in Ukraine

Europe, News December 18, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with more than a dozen of his top military commanders at the operation’s headquarters on December 17, 2022.

President Putin asked for proposals from the commanders of his armed forces on how they think Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine should proceed.

After facing a series of defeats and successful counterattacks at the hands of Ukrainian forces around the capital Kyiv and Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv and most recently from the city of Kherson, Russian military commanders have come back to the drawing table to rethink the strategies for further attacks on Ukraine.

According to the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, “President Vladimir Putin worked in the joint staff of military branches involved in the special military operation.” He said that “The head of the state examined the staff’s work, was briefed about the special military operation’s progress, held a conference and separate meetings with commanders.”

Putin presided over the meeting of around a dozen people at a circular table, flanked by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov. According to some reports Putin criticized the chief of the Russian military and his defense minister for the recent setbacks that the Russian military has faced in Ukraine.

Back in October 2022, Putin appointed Air Force General Sergei Surovikin to lead the campaign in Ukraine. Since then, the Russian forces have focused more on carrying out aerial attacks using drones and combat UAVs. Waves of air strikes on cities have left millions of Ukrainian civilians without heat, light, or water for days on end as winter sets in.

During his visit to the operations headquarters, Putin invited suggestions from military commanders regarding Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. “We will listen to the commanders in each operational direction, and I would like to hear your proposals on our immediate and medium-term actions,” Putin said during the meeting.

*^{Russian main battle tank T-90M Proryv destroyed by Ukrainian Armed Forces near the village of Staryi Saltiv, Kharkiv, Ukraine on May 9, 2022. (Image Credit: Reuters)}*

Earlier this week on December 14, the Russian President acknowledged that his operation military operation in Ukraine is taking longer than expected, but he also mentioned that Russia has gained substantial success in claiming new territories and ensuring a deterrence against nuclear threats.

While speaking at a televised meeting with the members of the Human Rights Council, the Russian president said, “Of course, it could be a lengthy process.” However, he reiterated his claim that he had no choice but to send in troops, saying that for years, the West responded to Russia’s security demands with “only spit in the face.”

Putin also canceled his annual year-end marathon news conference this month amid the war in Ukraine. Observers have attributed the rare break in the long-held tradition to the Kremlin’s uneasiness about a string of battlefield setbacks.