“Of course, many expected something different from him”
The statement of the commander of the joint forces in the special operation zone, Army General Sergei Surovikin, made on the evening of October 18, surprised many experts. During the eight months of the military special operation in Ukraine, everyone got used to the traditional briefings of Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov. Surovikin’s tone and content of the statement were strikingly different from the daily reports.
Photo: A frame from the video
Surovikin’s speech caused a lot of responses on social networks: someone thanked the general for his honesty, someone expressed concern about his words about “difficult decisions”. MK has collected the most vivid comments on this matter.
Military reporter Alexander Sladkov, who is more often on the front line than in the editorial office, noted that for the first time the head of the operation himself declares the difficult situation at the front, “and not the collective image of the General Staff.” According to him, Surovikin’s statement should be listened to, relying not only on the feelings of a civilian, but also on the mood and feeling of a soldier who is now in the epicenter of the battle.
The military Telegram channel “WarGonzo”, in turn, notes that Surovikin, although he was talking about bad news, was telling the truth, and this is important: “Probably one of the first generals in our new history, who, after telling about bad news, became almost a folk hero. Judge how total the demand for truth is in modern society.”
Sergey Grigorov, co-chairman of the public movement “Russian Democrats” writes that in Surovikin’s words he was confused by “not the main military content, but a political declaration.” According to the politician, it was superfluous. The expert is confident that, despite the difficult winter period, “there will be no catastrophe.” “Autumn and December will pass. And immediately after there will be a turning point in the war, after which a real Victory awaits us! Mark my words. Return to them in 2023,” he concludes.
Publicist Yulia Vityazeva wonders why the public decided that the “difficult decision” that Surovikin said was the surrender of Kherson? Vityazeva suggested that it could be about delivering more massive strikes on Ukraine. “This is also a difficult decision. Fraternal people, after all. Was,” she wrote.
The deputy of the Moscow City Duma, the journalist Andrey Medvedev noticed that in the comments many were alarmed because of Surovikin’s interview. To this, the journalist remarked: “Yes, this is what happens when they suddenly talked to you openly and in an adult way for the first time, and before that for six months they simply waved off the phrase on duty “the special operation continues according to plan.”
“Surovikin has just said: “Further actions in relation to Kherson will depend on the current military-tactical situation, it is not easy, making difficult decisions is not excluded. It is clear that many expected something different from him. After a week of strikes on infrastructure, I think many thought to hear something in the style of: wow, we’re going to bang, so bang,” he added.
Political scientist Alexey Zhivov agrees with Andrey Medvedev: “It is difficult to listen to Surovikin’s statement. There we are talking about a possible retreat in the Kherson region. In an area that is part of Russia.”
The expert added that it is possible, of course, to transfer to the commander of the operation his resentment and anxiety about the fact of recent statements. “But it will be an incorrect transfer. There is no fork yet: to win, or to win with lightning speed.” “So far, we have a fork: to find out about a possible “regrouping” in advance, so that the second Raisin does not happen, or notto learn about it, and to experience a monstrous shock from the executions of the population liberated by Ukraine,” the political scientist noted.
Surovikin announced “difficult” decisions on Kherson: photos of the “most severe” military commander of the Russian Federation
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