Reznikov on Surovikin's dismissal: this is Prigozhin's conflict with Russia’s regular army

OLEKSII REZNIKOV, PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov believes that the replacement of the commander of the Russian military in Ukraine indicates a conflict between the leadership of the regular Russian army and the head of the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC), Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Source: Reznikov in an interview with the BBC

Details: Reznikov said that the replacement of Sergei Surovikin with Valery Gerasimov was the result of "a conflict between Mr Prigozhin and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation."

Subsequently, Surovikin led attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which, according to Reznikov, "reduced the [Russian missile] stocks without any results".

Reznikov also repeated the claim that the Russians are "running out of missiles."

Background: Sergey Surovikin was dismissed from his post as Commander of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine on 11 January and Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, has been appointed to the post. Surovikin is now his deputy.

Surovikin held the post for 3 months. He was appointed in early October.

Surovikin "became famous" in this post for making the "difficult decision" of surrendering Kherson to the Ukrainian troops. Also with his arrival, Russia began to launch massive missile strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. 

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, gave his assessment of Surovikin: he is an ordinary derzhimorda [a brutal bully in Gogol’s play "The Government Inspector" – ed.].

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