The appointment of General Serhiy Surovikin as the commander of the Russian Federation forces in Ukraine reflects the desire of the Russian national security community to improve the conduct of military operations in Ukraine.

 This is stated in the intelligence review of the British Ministry of Defense on Tuesday.

 Surovikin was appointed commander-in-chief of the Joint Group of Forces conducting military operations in Ukraine on October 8.

 Intelligence suggests that for most of the war, Russia probably did not have a single field commander over its forces in Ukraine. General Oleksandr Dvornikov likely held the position between April and August 2022, but it is unclear whether he was able to effectively control the often disparate and competing factions of the Russian military.

 "Surovikin's appointment probably reflects the desire of the Russian national security community to improve the conduct of the operation. However, he will likely have to compete with an increasingly fragmented Russian Defense Ministry, which does not have sufficient resources to achieve the political goals set in Ukraine," the statement said. review

 Previously, Surovikin commanded the Russian Aerospace Forces, and more recently, the southern group of Russian troops in Ukraine.