MOSCOW \/ KYIV
\nValery Gerasimov, the Chief of the Russian Army, has recently gained an additional title being appointed as the commander of military operations in Ukraine. But should he be happy about it?
\nValery Gerasimov was born in Kazan, a Turkic-majority city, in southwest Russia. As the top general, he is seen as one of President Vladimir Putin\u2019s favourite commanders, having kept the top job in the army for more than a decade.
\nThe general is well respected. A whole new military strategy has been named after him – Gerasimov doctrine. It\u2019s an approach based on modern hybrid warfare, in which military capability is strategically combined with diplomatic, psychological, technological, economic and communication elements to take on the enemy.
\nBack in 2014, with the swift occupation of Ukraine\u2019s Crimean Peninsula, Gerasimov doctrine enjoyed widespread recognition, receiving much praise from the Russian political and military establishment.
\nBut the devastating 11-month-long war against Ukraine has once again pushed Gerasimov to the front.
\nAs an army chief, he was already the centre of the war but now he\u2019d be on the ground among his soldiers. Since February when Russian troops marched into Ukraine, Gerasimov has kept profile away from international scrutiny.
\nThat\u2019s unlike Volodymyr Zelensky who – at least in official photos and handouts – has visited frontlines to boost the morale of Ukrainian soldiers.
\nIn an unusual decision, last week, Russia\u2019s defence ministry appointed Gerasimov to personally lead the forces in Ukraine.
\n\u201cIn modern warfare, the physical presence of the highest ranking military office on the battlefield is exceptional,\u201d says Ulas Pehlivan, a former Turkish military officer and a security analyst. Because today\u2019s conflicts\u2019 hybrid nature empowered by advanced technology ensures real-time battle management capabilities, military leaders do not necessarily need to be on the ground, according to Pehlivan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MOSCOW \/ KYIV Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the Russian Army, has recently gained an additional title being appointed as the commander of military operations in Ukraine. But should he be happy about it? Valery Gerasimov was born in Kazan, a Turkic-majority city, in southwest Russia. As the top general, he is seen as one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":308310,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-308300","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n