Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff, will now oversee what Mr. Putin refers to as a "special military operation."
Sergei Surovikin, who oversaw recent violent assaults on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, is replaced by Gen. Gerasimov.
Following a string of military setbacks in recent months, Russia claims to be making gains in eastern Ukraine as a result of the reorganization.
On February 24, Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.
The longest-serving Russian head of general staff in the post-Soviet era is Gen. Gerasimov, who has held the position since 2012.
Because of his merciless strategies in previous conflicts, particularly Russia's activities in Syria and the intense bombardment of the city of Aleppo in particular, Gen Surovikin, now his deputy, has been dubbed "General Armageddon."
Immediately following his appointment to Russia started the operation to damage Ukraine's energy infrastructure in October, leaving millions of citizens there without power or running water for protracted periods of time in the dead of winter. Additionally, he handled Russia's withdrawal from the Ukrainian city of Kherson in the country's south, which was a huge victory.
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In order to facilitate "greater contact between different branches of the armed forces and improve the quality and effectiveness of the management of Russian troops," according to the Russian defense ministry, Gen Surovikin was to be replaced.
However, some have seen the action as an indication that he may have accumulated excessive power.
When speaking to Putin, Surovikin—the united commander in Ukraine—was likely circumventing Gerasimov and [Sergei] Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, according to military analyst Rob Lee on Twitter.
Some hawkish military bloggers in Russia have been quite critical of the country's military leadership, especially Gen. Gerasimov, the new commander of the special operations. These bloggers support the war but frequently criticize how it is being conducted
The declaration on Wednesday comes while combat in Soledar continues.
By giving them a safe artillery position within range of the city, the fall of Soledar may aid Russian troops in their assault on the important city of Bakhmut, which is located approximately 10 kilometers (six miles) to the south-west.
Moreover, Soledar possesses deep salt.mines that could serve as a safe haven for personnel and equipment from Ukrainian missiles.
For "storming" it, the Russian mercenary Wagner Group has claimed sole ownership.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the group's head, declared on Tuesday night that his soldiers had complete control of Soledar. However, a statement from the Russian defense ministry on Wednesday seemed to refute his assertion—or that just Wagner group forces were involved.
As a result, Mr. Prigozhin repeated the assertion on Wednesday night. He boasted that his mercenaries had killed some 500 pro-Ukraine soldiers in a brief Telegram message. The remains of Ukrainian servicemen are all around the city, he wrote.
Similar remarks on mounds of Russian corpses have recently been made by Ukraine.
There is no additional verification.
based in the US Images of Soledar from August and the beginning of January supplied by Maxar Technologies reveal the extent of the battle's devastation.
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