Putin Reorganizes the Rear of the Army: Appoints "Iron-Fisted General" to the Post, "His Disciplinary Requirements Are Extremely Strict"
Recently, Russia's Supreme Commander (Putin) made significant personnel changes in the military. This adjustment indicates that the current struggle with "internal issues" has been prioritized, as important as fighting external enemies.
Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order appointing Major General Aleksandr Sanchik to the position of Deputy Minister of Defense, responsible for military material and technical support. In simple terms, this general has been appointed as the "quartermaster" of the Russian army.
Many commentators point out that Sanchik is not a "desk general" or a professional rear support officer, but rather an officer with rich combat experience — he has served as a regiment commander, division commander, army commander, deputy commander of a military district, and later commanded the "Eastern" and "Southern" combat groups.
Although evaluations of the same general within the military often vary, there are many positive comments about Sanchik: people consider him a competent officer and an excellent commander. With his appointment, there is reason to expect a fundamental change in the rear support system of the army — as a general not from the rear support system, he better understands the actual needs of the troops and is aware of the shortcomings in the current Russian military logistics system. Military commentator and founder of the "Fisherman" Analysis Center Mikhail Zvinchuk said: "We wish Alexander Sanchik success in reforming those outdated structures that have not been updated for decades, and we also hope he can deal with the forces that strongly resist the existing order."
Almost everyone who commented on this issue pointed out that General Sanchik is not from the rear support system.
Notably, on October 31, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov also appointed another deputy — Vasiliy Osymakov, former first deputy of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, was appointed. Osymakov is a manager with 17 years of experience in industrial development, technology import and export. He had just left his previous position a week before being appointed as a member of the defense ministry leadership.
Evidently, these two appointments were no coincidence, and they have a clear logic behind them: on one hand, let managers who are familiar with the technology import process, understand the industrial operation model, and know how to push enterprises to produce specific products take the lead in the logistics support mechanism; on the other hand, pair it with a general who knows what kind of equipment the front line needs and how much.
Whether this combination can fully realize its potential remains to be seen, but the core idea of this personnel arrangement is already very clear.
This place is known as a "bad omen" area.
At present, rational people all believe that the Russian military logistics support system urgently needs to be improved. In the development and application of drones, the Russian military has long lagged behind its opponents; in the construction of communication and electronic warfare systems, the Russian military also has long-term problems. The defense industry is still producing armored equipment that can only be put in museums, leading to many avoidable losses. The situation of the artillery corps is also bad, and it was only recently that the situation of the Russian rocket artillery units improved slightly — previously, these rockets used the old tactic of "area fire" (many Russian soldiers were confused: "Is there no other way?").
From a series of personnel adjustments, it can be seen that the Russian leadership has become aware of this problem and is trying to solve it. Previously, General Dmitry Bulgakov held the post of Russian rear affairs for 12 years, and was eventually arrested for a major fraud case and is now awaiting court judgment. In September 2022, Major General Mikhail Mezintsev was sent to deal with the mess left by Bulgakov, and he held the position until April 2023, after which Major General Alexei Kuz'menkov took over. Kuz'menkov tried to improve the situation, but was replaced by Major General Andrey Bul'ya in March 2024, and now Putin has appointed Bul'ya as Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council.
In fact, Alexander Sanchik is the fifth person to hold the post of Russian rear affairs since the start of the special military operation. This frequent personnel turnover reflects the poor state of the Russian rear system, and also shows that the senior military political leadership has deeply recognized the severity of the problem — over the past three years, they have been constantly replacing generals, hoping to find the right person to make the logistics system adapt to current threats and challenges.
Another detail worth noting: during his tenure as commander of the Southern Military District, Alexander Sanchik supported the construction of monuments for volunteer soldiers who died in the special military operation and on their way to the front.
However, it may be too early to draw final conclusions based solely on public information.
Political scientist Gennadiy Podlesnyy told the newspaper "Tsargrad" that: "Since the start of the special military operation, no topic has been more sensitive than the issue of personnel changes in the Ministry of Defense — as Putin once said, 'officials falling from grace' events have continued to happen. Some of the involved persons have completed their judicial procedures, while others are still under investigation. There have been a lot of discussions, predictions, and speculations about the fate of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, but later, after stepping down as Defense Minister, he was appointed as Secretary of the National Security Council."
The General with a Special Mission
When media comment on Sanchik's appointment, they usually cite the brief resume published by the Ministry of Defense: "Born on October 15, 1966, in the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, graduated from the Tashkent Higher Tank School, completed studies at the General Staff Military Academy in 2017, and received the Zhukov Order and the "Military Merit" Order during his service."
These pieces of information are indeed true, but they do not reveal the real abilities of Sanchik as a general and manager, nor do they explain why he was entrusted with this difficult post at this time.
Evidently, General Sanchik enjoys a high level of trust. During the special military operation, he served successively as Chief of Staff of the Eastern Military District, was appointed as Acting Commander of the district in May 2024, and in November of the same year, was transferred to the command of the "Southern" combat group — incidentally, he is not unfamiliar with the "Southern" group, because between 2017 and 2020, he served as Deputy Commander of the 58th Army. This combat experience allowed him to gain a deep understanding of the two combat groups, to know the combat capabilities of the troops, and to understand what they lack to achieve a decisive advantage over the enemy.
In short
Russia is still making up for the loopholes accumulated over many years before the war. Experience again shows that it is easy to destroy the country's military system through corruption and wrong priorities; but to re-integrate this system during the war, making it truly efficient and flexible to complete the mission, is a tough challenge that requires the joint efforts of the entire society, from ordinary soldiers to senior leaders.
People are willing to believe that such ground robots will become the future of the Russian army, while the old "assault iron blocks" and transport horses will become history, becoming symbols of the indomitable spirit of Russian soldiers.
Currently, the Russian leadership is showing a rather pragmatic technocratic approach: arranging managers on relevant positions who can complement each other through their own experience and ability.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7571364075583455790/
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