The Russian Ministry of Defense has named General Sergei Surovikin as commander of Kremlin forces fighting in Ukraine.
This is the first official to be appointed as the commander for all Russian forces that are on Ukrainian territory, since February.
The announcement came hours after an explosion halted traffic and damaged a key bridge linking Russia with Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in the early hours of October 8.
Since 2017, Surovikin has led the Air Force of Russia. In June of this year, Surovikin engaged with Russian troops in southern Ukraine. He previously served in Tajikistan, Chechnya and Syria.