Russian President Vladimir Putin announced today that a number of army logistics and other units will be placed under a single command to strengthen the military campaign against Ukraine, DPA reported, BTA reported.
At a meeting with senior military officers, Putin appointed Valery Solodchuk as deputy defense minister, who will be responsible for organizing the troops' logistics support. The logistics support units should be placed “under a single command“, the Russian president said, quoted by the Kremlin press service.
Solodchuk previously commanded the Central Military District, which played a key role in the invasion of eastern Ukraine. Andrey Ivanov, who previously commanded the troops of the Eastern Military District, was appointed head of the Central Military District today, TASS added.
Colonel General Peter Bolgarev, who held the position of Chief of Staff of the Eastern Military District, was appointed acting commander of the troops of the Eastern Military District.
Putin today handed over command of the future Russian troops for unmanned systems to Denis Lyamin, who had previously been Chief of Staff of the Central Military District.
The Russian president pointed out that the restructuring of the armed forces is based on the experience gained in the war in Ukraine and on current operational needs.
Putin today praised the "East" military group, emphasizing that it is advancing vigorously and "at a pace that deserves the highest recognition."
The head of state recently increased the size of the army by 25,000 people, bringing it to 2,426,000, with 1,535,000 of them active duty.
Ukraine has launched drone strikes on oil refineries and logistics centers deep inside Russian territory, causing significant disruptions to the supply of the front. The situation is particularly dire on the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, the agency notes.