Putin - Surovikin: After the West laughing Russia, now Ukraine S.O.S., cornered situation like February
Oct. 8th 2022, Russia has appointed a single commander, Sergei Surovikin, 3-stars general, to lead all its forces in Ukraine. Russia has appointed a single commander to lead all its forces in Ukraine, the country's Defense Ministry said Saturday.
Sergei Surovikin will be the first person to be handed sole charge of the campaign since the invasion was launched in February. The army general, who is also head of Russia's air force, was placed in charge of Russian troops in southern Ukraine over the summer.
Surovikin has previously led Russian forces in Syria and was accused of overseeing a brutal bombardment that destroyed much of the city of Aleppo.
He will now be responsible for reinvigorating a campaign that has suffered heavy losses and lost thousands of square miles of territory in recent weeks.
The string of battlefield setbacks has led to open criticism of Moscow’s military leadership, heightening the sense of domestic discontent and posing a rare challenge to the Kremlin.
Then, between Oct 9th-Oct 10th, Surovikin show how Russia still really scary, still toughest arch-enemy ever for the West. After the West laughing Russia since Week 3rd September, now the West and Ukraine angry because Surovikin show "immediately - deadliest" missile storm to entire Ukraine, several missiles already destroy Kyiv directly. Russia settle the score. Current situation in Ukraine now back to (like) February-March, when Russia dominate in the land and airspace. The scary thing situation currently is, Ukraine already have a lot HIMARSH (by the US), but Russia only in less than 72 hours successful to strike entire Ukraine.
25 minutes ago (Oct 10th, 2.35 pm in Moscow) Putin itself confirm new wave of offensive by Russia to Ukraine. In other side, Zelensky already hotline-call with Macron, but not yet with Biden. Putin is telling Ukraine and the west that there are no limits to what he will do. He's doubling down on blood and terror. There are no off-ramps in these circumstances.
Just only 30 days from now, G20 summit in Bali. Jokowi as a host invite Zelensky too to be honorary guest, in the wake Russia - Ukraine invasion since February.
The most massive Russia amid 3 hours, by missile attack on entire Ukraine (several landed to Kyiv): 83 missiles, 43 downed. Strikes on Kyiv, downtown and infrastructure; many other cities. Many dead and wounded. No electricity and water now in Kyiv and several cities of Ukraine.
Russia used high-precision Kh-101, Kh-555, Kalibr, Iskander, S-300 and Tornado missiles against Ukraine. They were launched from strategic bombers from the Caspian region and ships in the Black Sea. As of noon, 83 rockets were fired, 43 of which were shot down.
It is much easier to quantify latent military power (e.g., tanks, fighters, training hours etc.), but it is much harder to quantify the factors that translate latent power into actual combat power--or what is military effectiveness. Whatever analyst says, even without nuclear weapon, Russia successful to set a situation back (similar) like February only less than 72 hours, and Ukraine really cornered again (*even Ukraine now handled astonishing weapons from the West, and not only HIMARSH).
The Biden administration's basic objectives in Ukraine — to avoid conventional or nuclear war with Russia and to make the invasion produce a strategic failure for Russia — remain sound. In light of heightened escalation risks, the former objective bears repeating.
Ukraine now in conundrum situation after not take Russia’s threats very credibly anymore since September. Moscow talks a big game about this or that action causing a strong Russian response, and lead by Surovikin, the strong response really comes. The U.S. Defense Minister Lloyd Austin maybe on emergency call with Ukraine counterparts Oleksii Rezniikov about Russia strike in the last 24 hours.
The headquarters of Ukraine's private energy company DTEK located in Kyiv was hit by a Russian missile strike on the morning of Oct. 10. Attacks on critical infrastructure across Ukraine are being reported. Live network data show significant disruptions to internet access in #Ukraine amid a series of Russian attacks targeting multiple regions of the country; metrics indicate national connectivity now at 83% of ordinary levels.
The building of the German Consulate in Kyiv was damaged by Russian strikes. Not yet confirmation and condemnation by FM Germany Annalena Baerbock.