Russia appoints new general to command forces in Ukraine war

MOSCOW: Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu on Saturday appointed Army General Sergey Surovikin to command the joint group of forces involved in the Ukraine war.

"Army General Sergey Surovikin has been appointed to command the joint group of forces in the area of the special military operation in Ukraine based on the Russian defense minister's decision," reported TASS quoting Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashekov telling reporters.

He earlier served as Commander of Russia's Eastern Military District and led Russian troops in Syria, reported TASS. Notably, Russia recently annexed four regions of Ukraine - Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

The war between Russia and Ukraine appears to be entering a new phase after Kyiv dealt a big blow to Moscow's grip after it recaptured 2,400 square kilometres of territory in the Kherson region in the south of the country "since the beginning of the full-scale war," a senior Ukrainian official said Friday, reported CNN.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the president's office said six settlements had been liberated in the Kherson district as well as 61 in the Beryslav district.

Tymoshenko said the evacuation of civilians continued amid massive destruction to critical infrastructure in towns like Arkhanhelske, Vysokopillia and Osokorivka, all of which saw weeks of heavy fighting and indirect fire. Demining is in progress, he added.

Ukrainian forces have been making steady progress in Kherson since beginning an offensive at the end of last month, and their successes have sparked rare criticism of Moscow's war effort among pro-Russian figures.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised his forces' counteroffensive in his evening address on Tuesday.

"The Ukrainian army is making a rather fast and powerful advance in the south of our country in the course of the ongoing defensive operation," Zelenskyy said in his evening address.

"Our warriors do not stop. And it is only a matter of time before we will expel the occupier from all our land."