Major General Vitaliy Gerasimov, the chief of staff with Russia’s 41st Combined Arms Army, was reportedly killed by Ukraine's military intelligence operators near Kharkiv today.
General Gerasimov is third Russian General (if one counts Chechens as Russians) killed by the Ukrainians in the eleven days since the conflict began.
They are:
Maj Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov (killed)
Maj. Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky (killed)
Chechen general Magomed Tushayev (killed)
In addition, five Russian Colonels have also been killed in action.
It has been reported that the Russian commanders have had to relocate closer to the front lines in the past few days because of the breakdown in their command and control structure. This has not been without consequence, as the command staff is now exposed to Ukranian fire.
The fact that Ukraine has claimed its third Russian general in less than two should strike terror through the Russian officer Corp. If the General was killed by Ukrainian military intelligence, as was reported, this was likely a targeted hit. In such case, it is not likely to be the last. Because many of the Russian senior command are now stationed at or near the front lines, this should serve as a wakeup call to them if they are not already feeling exposed.
There has been much commentary in recent days to the effect that the Russian army does not care about its losses because they are cannon fodder. There is a huge difference in the importance of untrained conscripts and Major Generals to the Russian military. When Generals and other senior officers are taken out, it cripples the army’s command structure. Furthermore, every Russian commander killed in action has to be replaced, potentially putting those Generals behind the lines into the line of fire. If nothing else has driven a wedge between Putin and his Generals. it may be this.
However, the killing of this particular general has added significance…
If the General’s surname, Gerasimov, sounds familiar; it should. The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia is also a General Gerasimov. Valery Vasilevich Gerasimov (Russian: Вале́рий Васи́льевич Гера́симов; born 8 September 1955), a native of the city of Kazan, is the current Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia and First Deputy Defense Minister. He was appointed to that position by Vladamir Putin November 9, 2012. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valery_Gerasimov. General Gerasimov is in charge of the operations of the Russian military forces because Putin’s defense minister, Shoygu, has no formal military training.
The dead General, Vitaliy Petrovich Gerasimov, was born on July 9, 1977 and, like the senior Gerasimov, is also a native of the city of Kazan. It is reported that he made Major General at the tender age of 38. www.reddit.com/...To accomplish this at such a young age, Gerasimov was either a boy wonder or had strong connections. Considering it was in Putin’s Russia, the latter seem s far more likely (I want to point out that the younger General Gersimov does not appear to be the son of the elder one. His patronymic name, Petrovitch, means that he is the son of Petro. Nevertheless, it is entirely possible that there is some familial connection between the two.). (Note: It is reported that the dead General may be the nephew of the Russian Military Chief of Staff. See, update below.)
If it turns out that the younger Gerasimov is related to the nephew of the Chief of the General Command, it will likely shake the entire Russian senior military command to its core. Even if they are unrelated, it will still shake things up because the Russian Chief of Staff, General Gerasimov, as well as every other Russian commander, will go to bed tonight with the news fresh in their minds that General Girasimov was killed by the Ukrainians today. That is a hell of a mind fu@K.
Tuesday, Mar 8, 2022 · 2:10:58 AM +00:00 · highonthehill
Thanks to comments by geemoo and Crashing Vor, for providing info that the dead General Gerasimov appears to be the Russian Chief of Staff Gerasimov’s nephew. If this info pans out, it is a BFD.
Tuesday, Mar 8, 2022 · 5:54:27 AM +00:00 · highonthehill
General Valery Gerasimov is one of a handful of people in Russia who is in a position where he could mount a credible threat to Putin’s continued rule if he chose. There is some speculation that the Ukrainians were tipped off to his nephew’s position by elements of the FSB, possibly on Putin’s order, to send a strong message to him. Whether or not this turns out to be the case, the mere possibility of it being true adds another level of intrigue and distrust to the command of the already faltering Russian offensive.