On October 18, Senior Lieutenant General Sergey Surovikin spoke to the media for the first time since taking charge of the commander-in-chief of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine.
described the special "difficult" situation in the city of Kherson in a speech to Rossiya-24 TV station, Mr. Surovikin added that the Russian army could be forced to make "difficult decisions".
The NATO Armed Forces Command has long asked Kiev to conduct offensive operations in the direction of Kherson, regardless of casualties both in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and civilians, General Surovikin said.
The Russian military is aware of Kiev's plans to use "banned" vehicles to conduct war in the Kherson area, Surovikin added. Specifically, Ukraine is preparing a major attack on the Kakhovka hydropower plant on the Dnepr River, as well as conducting major missile and artillery attacks on Kherson itself.
Those actions could lead to the destruction of the infrastructure of this important industrial park and cause great casualties for the civilian, said Mr. Surovikin.
The general said that in a continuous effort to repel the Russian army, Kiev is putting all its reserve forces on the front line. Most of the reserve forces are territorial protection units, those who have not been properly trained. Such troops are of low spirit, so they are supported by a "barrier team" consisting of tough nationalists who "shoot anyone who intends to leave the battlefield," Surovikin said.
"The daily losses of the opponent amounted to hundreds of casualties. We have another strategy. We do not target fast-paced attacks, we save troops and crush enemy attack forces methodically. This not only reduces our own damage, but also significantly reduces the number of civilian victims" - the Russian general said.
"The enemy pushed the Ukrainian citizen to the death. We, the Ukrainian people, are one and only want Ukraine to become an independent state with the West, NATO and friendly with Russia, said Mr. Surovikin.
Senior Lieutenant General Surovikin took charge of the command of the Russian army participating in the military campaign in Ukraine in early October. This general has extensive combat experience, from the wars in Chechnya to Syria. He was awarded the title of Hero of Russia in 2017.
According to many press reports, Mr. Surovikin has been nicknamed by his colleagues as an end-of-the-line general because of his tough and unofficial approach to military campaigns. His appointment as commander-in-chief comes at the same time as Russia has stepped up air missile attacks across Ukraine, using cruise missiles and suicide drones against key infrastructure in the country.
