“It is clear that many expected something else from him”
The statement of the commander of the joint forces in the special operation zone, Army General Sergey Surovikin, made in 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. For Surovikin, the tone and content of the statement were strikingly different from the daily news.
Photo: A frame from the video
Surovikin's speech caused a lot of reactions on social networks: someone thanked the general for his honesty, someone expressed concern about his words about “difficult decisions”. MK collected the most lively 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 “and not the collective image of the General Staff” declares about the difficult situation at the staff . front. 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 feelings of a soldier who is now in the epicenter of the battle.
The military telegram channel “WarGonzo”, in turn, notes that Surovikin, although he spoke about bad news, spoke the truth, and this is important: “Probably one of the first generals in our recent history, who, after speaking about bad news, became almost popular a hero. Assess how complete the demand for truth is in modern society.
Sergei Grigorov, co-chairman of the public movement “Russian Democrats”, writes that, according to Surovikin, he was embarrassed “not for the main military content, but for the political declaration.” According to the politician, it was redundant. The expert is sure that, despite the difficult winter season, “no disaster will occur”. “Fall and December will pass. And right after that, there will be a turning point in the war, after which we will have a real Victory! Mark my words. Return to them in 2023,” he concludes.
Publicist Yulia Vityazeva wonders why the public decided that the “difficult decision” Surovikin said was the surrender of Kherson? Vityazeva indicated that it could also be a case of more massive strikes on Ukraine. “This is also a difficult decision. Brotherly people after all. She was,” she wrote.
A representative of the Moscow City Duma, journalist Andrei Medvedev, noted that in the comments many people were concerned about Surovikin's interview. The journalist commented on this: “Yes, this will happen when they suddenly talked to you openly and maturely for the first time, and before that they simply brushed off the service phrase “special operation continues as planned” for six months.
“Surovikin just said: “Further actions in relation to Kherson will depend on the emerging military-tactical situation, it is not easy, difficult decisions are not excluded. It can be seen that many expected something else from him. After a week of infrastructure strikes, I think many people thought they would hear something like: wow, we're going to bang, we're going to bang,” he added.
Political scientist Alexei Zhivov agrees with Andrei Medvedev: “Surovikin's statement is hard to listen to. There we are talking about a possible retreat in the Kherson region. In an area that is part of Russia.”
The expert added that his indignation and concern over the latest statements can of course be transferred to the commander of the operation. “But it will be a wrong transfer. Even if there is no fork in the road: win, or win at lightning speed. “So far we have a crossroads: to learn about a possible “regroupment” in advance so that there is no second Izyum, or not to learn about it and experience a monstrous shock from the execution of the population liberated by Ukraine,” said the political scientist.
Surovikin announced “difficult ” decision on Kherson: photo of the “strictest” commander of the Russian Federation
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