Putin’s new top commander in Ukraine has revenge in his sights
After half a century in the military, General Valery Gerasimov has been handed his toughest task yet
Growing up in a drab city in the Soviet Union, General Valery Gerasimov pitied and feared the drudgery of his parents’ faceless lives working in a factory.
Fuelled by tales of an uncle’s derring-do during World War II and patriotic stories, the young Gerasimov dreamt of joining the Red Army and adventure.
In a 2001 interview with the Red Star military newspaper, Gen Gerasimov “recalled with a smile” the moment he began his military training.
“Years of waiting had only strengthened in the teenager the desire to achieve his goal,” Red Star wrote.
After half a century in the Soviet and Russian militaries, Gen Gerasimov, 67, has been handed his toughest task. Already Russia’s top general, Vladimir Putin has made him commander of his military operation in Ukraine.
Russian forces have been on the back foot in Ukraine since late spring. If Gen Gerasimov can turn their fortunes around, he will be hailed a hero. If he fails, his carefully crafted career will end in ignominy.
Dara Massicot, an analyst at the US-based RAND Corporation, said Gen Gerasimov’s loyalty meant this was a mission that he had to accept after Russian forces stalled executing an invasion plan that he had designed.
“Gerasimov didn’t push back in February 2022 and won’t do it now,” she said.
After joining the Soviet military school in Kazan in 1973, Gen Gerasimov proved a keen and tough cadet. He passed out top of his class and was handpicked to become an officer in a Red Army tank regiment.
As he rose through the ranks it became clear that he was destined for a top job, commanding units in rebellious Chechnya and Dagestan along the way with distinction.
The 2001 Red Star profile described Gen Gerasimov as “a general from the tips of his fingers to the very last button” and a “man of action” who was later sent to the Russian military’s staff college for his “high levels of organisational skills”.
He told Red Star how he had fought Chechen rebels in the mountains and lived with his men for months to track down enemy units, living off snow melt and dried rations.
“For me personally, planning military operations in the mountains was perhaps the most valuable practical experience gained there,” he said.
Gen Gerasimov was made chief of the Russian defence staff in 2012, shortly after he had written a landmark article describing a far-reaching form of total warfare which used every tool at Russia’s disposal - both on and off the battlefield - to achieve its military goals.
He played key roles in the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and in providing a lifeline of military support for President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war.
After an extensive aerial bombing campaign targeting Ukrainian infrastructure failed to turn the tide of the war in Moscow’s favour, analysts now expect Gen Gerasimov to ditch the defensive posture adopted by General Sergei Surovikin and use more aggressive tactics.
For Gen Gerasimov, the war in Ukraine is also personal. He not only designed the invasion plans with Putin that so badly backfired, but he also has revenge on his mind after surviving an assassination attempt in April.
Mark Galeotti, a London-based Russian analyst, described appointment as head of Russian forces in Ukraine as a “poisoned chalice” for the loyal Gen Gerasimov.
“It’s now on him,” he said. “And I suspect Putin has unrealistic expectations.”