Latest news with #Gerasimov
South China Morning Post
23-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
China's alignment with Russia, North Korea creates a dangerous triangle
This year's Victory Day celebrations made clear Russia's political intent. The Kremlin used the event not as a commemoration but as a stage to frame its war in Ukraine as a symbolic victory. By drawing in foreign attendance, it sought to further boost its legitimacy. Two developments in particular underscored this effort. First, among the most noteworthy developments was President Xi Jinping's early decision to attend . While some might speculate that his prompt acceptance of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invitation reflects a desire to stabilise ties with Russia amid shifting global dynamics, the move has also raised questions about China's strategic posture. Rather than actively shaping the post-war order, Beijing risks appearing reactive to Moscow's agenda. That unrealised potential underscores the stakes of China's current foreign policy choices. This diplomatic ambiguity leaves room for other actors, such as US President Donald Trump, to reinsert themselves into the conversation. A second noteworthy development is the official confirmation by both Russia and North Korea of the latter's troop deployment to Russia. Valery Gerasimov, Russia's Chief of the General Staff, reported to Putin on April 26 that the operation to push Ukrainian forces out of Kursk had concluded and, for the first time, disclosed North Korean participation in Russia's war. These revelations, timed to coincide with Victory Day events, now take on new significance. Gerasimov justified the deployment by citing the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership , claiming that North Korean forces had played a significant role in defeating Ukrainian troops. North Korea later confirmed the deployment by referencing the Russian remarks. That this revelation came six months after the initial deployment by North Korea suggests a deliberate connection to the Victory Day celebrations. It is evident that North Korean troops engaged in fierce battles during the Kursk operation and suffered heavy casualties , raising speculation that they could be formally recognised or decorated during Victory Day events. Meanwhile, South Korean intelligence agencies have confirmed that North Korean casualties reached 4,700, including 600 deaths.
Reuters
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Putin replaces commander of Russia's ground forces and appoints him to security council
MOSCOW, May 15 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has replaced the commander of Russia's ground forces, Army General Oleg Salyukov, 69, appointing him deputy secretary of the Security Council, according to a decree published on the Kremlin's website on Thursday. The Security Council is the Kremlin's top consultative body, chaired by Putin, and which is responsible for managing and integrating national security policy. It does not have direct authority over Russia's security agencies and ministries. The secretary of the Security Council is former defence minister Sergei Shoigu. Salyukov has for the past 11 years led the large Victory Day parades in Moscow's Red Square that mark the anniversary of Germany's surrender at the end of World War Two. From January 2023, Salyukov was deputy to Valery Gerasimov, Russia's Chief of the General Staff, who was appointed by Putin as a commander in charge to lead Russia's war in Ukraine. Salyukov has been sanctioned by the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada and several other countries.
Russia Today
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Putin appoints top general to Security Council
Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed General Oleg Salyukov as deputy secretary of the National Security Council, according to a decree issued on Thursday. Concurrently, Salyukov has been relieved of his role as the commander-in-chief of the Russian Ground Forces. Salyukov had commanded the Russian Ground Forces – the largest branch of the country's military by personnel – since 2014. Prior to that, he served as deputy head of the General Staff and led the Russian Far Eastern military district. In 2023, he became deputy commander of Russia's military operation in Ukraine, under Army General Valery Gerasimov, the head of the General Staff. Salyukov also inspected Russian troops stationed in Belarus after a joint military force was established there in October 2022. Additionally, he oversaw the Victory Day military parades on Red Square for 11 consecutive years. Putin has not publicly explained his decision to appoint Salyukov to the Security Council or to relieve him of his previous duties. In his new role, Salyukov will serve under former Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, who currently heads the council. The Kremlin has yet to announce who will take over as the new commander-in-chief of the Russian Ground Forces.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kyiv's Special Forces report raid on Russian positions in Kursk Oblast, dispute Moscow's claim of recapture
Ukrainian special forces from the 73rd Naval Special Operations Center conducted a raid on Russian positions in Kursk Oblast, capturing two Russian soldiers, the Special Operations Forces' press service reported on April 27. "While the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (Valery) Gerasimov reports the 'liberation' of Kursk Oblast from Ukraine's Security and Defense Forces, operatives of the 73rd Naval Special Operations Center continue to carry out missions in the area successfully," the statement said. During the operation, a unit from Russia's 810th Marine Brigade was targeted and destroyed, the Ukrainian military claims. Ukrainian special forces captured two soldiers during the mission; one was evacuated on a stretcher, while the other was able to walk, the military said. The Kyiv Independent could not immediately confirm the claims. On April 27, the acting commander of Russia's 810th Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin that "scattered groups and individual soldiers" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fighting in Kursk Oblast "will soon be destroyed." The statement contradicted an earlier claim by Gerasimov that Russian forces have fully recaptured the territory of Kursk Oblast, the Russian border region partially held by Ukraine since last August. Read also: North Korea confirms for first time it has deployed troops to fight alongside Russia in Kursk Oblast We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Business Insider
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Russia and North Korea finally admit that Kim Jong Un's troops were fighting Ukraine
Moscow and Pyongyang have, for the first time, officially acknowledged that North Korean troops are fighting in Russia's war against Ukraine. It's been widely reported for months that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had sent thousands of his elite troops to assist Russian ground assaults in Kursk. But Russia and North Korea remained silent on the matter even as evidence mounted of Pyongyang's direct involvement, until now. On Saturday, the Kremlin quoted Valery Gerasimov, the chief of staff of Russia's armed forces, thanking North Korean troops at a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. "I would like to separately note the participation of the servicemen of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the liberation of the border areas of the Kursk region," he said in Russian. Gerasimov praised Pyongyang's troops as showing "courage and heroism," and said they had been "performing combat missions shoulder to shoulder with Russian servicemen." On Monday morning, Pyongyang time, North Korea issued its own official recognition of its troops' fighting against Ukraine. State media wrote that North Korean combat units had "participated in the operations for liberating the Kursk areas." The North Korean report used similar wording to Gerasimov, writing that its troops had been "shedding blood in the same trench shoulder to shoulder" with Russian forces. Neither the Kremlin nor Pyongyang outlined specific plans for any further involvement of North Korean troops in the war. However, North Korean state media added that Kim was "determined to make the combat sub-units of our armed forces participate in the war." Kim further described strengthening ties with Russia as a "sacred mission." North Korea's direct involvement in hostilities in Ukraine has been widely interpreted as a significant escalation to the war, and there are fears that Pyongyang's troops, who have so far been seen fighting in Russia's Kursk region, could be used to fight on Ukraine's sovereign territory. That could create spill-over effects for South Korea's military, as well. As reports first emerged in the fall of 2024 that Russia was receiving direct assistance from Pyongyang, South Korea had said it may consider sending lethal aid to Ukraine, which stands to pull Asia further into the war. Ukrainian reports estimate that about 14,000 North Korean troops were sent to fight in Kursk. Many were likely killed or wounded as they were deployed in high-attrition infantry assaults. Seoul and Washington have also repeatedly voiced concerns that North Korean troops are gaining valuable combat experience, such as lessons on how to deal with drones, from fighting in a modern war against Ukraine. Both Gerasimov and North Korean state media reported that Kursk, which Ukraine invaded in a surprise attack in the summer of last year, had been effectively cleared of Kyiv's forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, posted on social media on Sunday that Ukraine was still fighting at "defensive positions" in Kursk.
