Convicted Russian commander brought to Ukraine: Who is Sergei Vladimirovich Surovikin?

Russian President Vladimir Putin replaced the Commander of the Joint Military Forces in the "special military operation" zone in Ukraine. General Sergey Surovikin, who previously served in Syria, was appointed head of the troops in Ukraine.

Sergei Vladimirovich Surovikin (born 11 October 1966) is a Russian Armed Forces army general and Commander of the Aerospace Forces. He was in charge of setting up the Main Directorate of the Military Police, a new organisation within the Russian Army.

WHO IS SERGEY SUROVIKIN?

Sergey Surovikin was sentenced to 7 months in prison for his involvement in the deaths of 3 demonstrators, who ordered the shooting of the civilian crowd in the failed coup attempt against Gorbachev, also known as the "August Coup" in 1991.

The President of the time, Boris Yeltsin, intervened in the trial process of Surovikin and ensured that he was released from prison.

Surovikin, who was sentenced to one year probation for arms smuggling in September 1995, was released again as a result of the investigation.

GRADUATED IN 1987

The criminal commander of the Russian army graduated from the Omsk Higher Military Command School in 1987 with the rank of "land lieutenant".

After the Afghanistan War, he received staff training at the Frunze Military Academy. He was immediately sent to Chechnya.

During this period he commanded devastating airstrikes and planned military operations against anti-Russian elements. The period of Chechnya marked the beginning of the rise in his career.

Although he took part in the establishment of the Military Police Organization in 2011, his appointment was stopped due to his "criminal file".

THE GENERAL THAT DESTROYED ALEPPO

Despite everything, he received the rank of general in 2013 and was appointed head of the Russian troops in Syria in June 2017. In the air operations it carried out with the Damascus Administration, it significantly neutralized the regions where the opposition was located, especially Aleppo.

Although many civilians lost their lives in airstrikes in Syria, Sergey Surovikin stood out as the name that changed the course of the war and was awarded the "Hero of the Russian Federation" medal.

The convicted General has also been serving as the Commander of the Russian Air and Space Forces since 2017.

THE FIRST JOB WAS TO HIT KIEV

The first step of Surovikin as soon as he became the head of the Ukrainian troops; It was to hit Kiev.

Russia experts, Sergey Surovikin, are of the opinion that "he will take decisions that can cause 'great destruction' in Ukraine."

Experts especially express concerns about the resumption of attacks against the cities of Chernihiv and Sumi on the border of Russia and Belarus, as well as the capital Kiev.