The changes that Russian President Putin is making are not good news for Ukraine, because they are the right decisions for what he wants to achieve.
This is what security expert Velizar Shalamanov, former Minister of Defense, told BNR.
According to him, the replacement of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was expected:
"Ever since the Prigozhin scandals, it was clear that the management of finances, supplies and logistics in the army was not good. This played an important role in stopping the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It's about time this was fixed".
In the words of Shalamanov, the appointment of a civilian minister of defense - an economist who does not come from the services and the army - "gives greater freedom to the military leadership of Gen. Valery Gerasimov and increases his responsibility":
"This is not good news for Ukraine and for us, because they are correct decisions for what Vladimir Putin wants to achieve.
Velizar Shalamanov explained that Gen. Gerasimov is an ideologue of hybrid wars and information-psychological special operations (IPSO):
"That he gets an opportunity to act is not an accidental development. It allows exactly this type of campaign to instill fear and uncertainty in Ukraine - with a threat to Kharkiv and Kiev, but also in the West. ... This is also a signal, together with the announced exercises with tactical nuclear weapons, that the new technological systems that will come from the West cannot solve the issue of the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Russian army and must be sought for even more innovative and surprising decisions if we want Ukraine to cope with the set goal - full sovereignty of its territories".
"We must overcome our fears of Russia using its numerical superiority, using tactical nuclear weapons, or blocking policy decisions related to Ukraine's membership in NATO or direct military aid in an emergency situation in Ukraine. If we do not overcome these blockages in our thinking, the advantage will be in Putin's hands," the security expert stressed.
In connection with the visit of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to Serbia, Shalamanov expressed the opinion that "a more direct commitment of Belgrade to support Russia would be a great blow not only for Ukraine, but also for Bulgaria" :
"Someone should tell President Aleksandar Vucic that if he continues to work with Russia against Ukraine, against Europe, against NATO, it will be very difficult for him to be part of Europe.