Putin reassigns Salukov amid ongoing Russian military shifts
Vladimir Putin has removed General Oleg Salukov from his position as Commander of the Russian Ground Forces. The General, who recently inspected the parade in Red Square, has been reassigned to the Security Council. Until now, he played a significant role in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
What do you need to know?
- General Oleg Salukov has been dismissed from his role as Commander of the Russian Ground Forces by Vladimir Putin.
- New role: Salukov has been appointed as Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, where he will collaborate with former Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu.
- Context: General Salukov was one of the deputies leading the invasion of Ukraine and has been subject to Western sanctions.
Vladimir Putin decided to remove General Oleg Salukov from his position as Commander of the Russian Ground Forces. General Salukov, who had served in this role since 2014, was one of the key commanders in the Russian military. His dismissal occurred shortly after he inspected the military parade in Red Square on 9th May.
According to observers, this change may be linked to the Kremlin's new priorities in the context of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
New duties for Salukov? He will collaborate with Shoigu
After being dismissed from his previous position, General Salukov has been appointed as Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council. In this capacity, he will work with Sergey Shoigu, the former Defence Minister. The Security Council is a crucial body within the structure of power in Russia, which suggests that Salukov might continue to play an influential role in the country's defence policy.
General sanctioned
These changes in the Ground Forces command may affect the strategy and operations of the Russian military. Salukov was one of the deputies spearheading the Russian invasion of Ukraine under General Valery Gerasimov and was involved in key military decisions.
As a result of Russian aggression, he has been subject to Western sanctions.
In 2023, the Russian branch of the BBC published information about how his family profited from organising various "patriotic" events.
