Russia's top officer visited the front line to change the offensive's course

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

[div class"excerpt"]ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine -- The chief of the general staff of the Russian military, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the country's highest ranking uniformed officer, made a visit to dangerous front-line positions in eastern Ukraine late last week in an effort to "change the course" of Russia's flagging offensive there, according to a senior Ukrainian official. Two U.S. officials with knowledge of the visit also backed that assessment.

Ukrainian officials learned of the visit, the Ukrainian official said, but not in time to catch General Gerasimov. When Ukrainian forces launched an attack on one position visited by General Gerasimov, at School No. 12 in the Russian-controlled city of Izium on Saturday evening, he had already departed for Russia. Still, some 200 soldiers, including at least one general, were killed, the Ukrainian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive military operation.

Two U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential intelligence assessments, confirmed that General Gerasimov had been in eastern Ukraine for the past couple days, but had no information about the attack on the Russian base. The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Our working assumption is that he was there because there's a recognition they haven't worked out all their problems yet," said one of the officials.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/01/world/europe/russian-general-dead-valery-gerasimov.html

[Warpy]

1. Putin isn't going to want to hear that it's futile, that dreams of annexing Ukraine should be over

I wouldn't want to be in Garasimov's shoes right now. The only other thing he can say is that his plan was a good one, just not in a country with a western style military and western supplied weapons. He has to know Russia's fighting the wrong kind of war. That's about all he knows, real information travels badly up Russian style chains of command.

[Igel]

2. So I'm confused.

First reports were that he was wounded, shrapnel to the shin.

Now it seems he was long gone from the scene?

Can't get past the paywall.

[Angleae]

3. You're not the only one confused.

I thought the same thing.

[Lonestarblue]

4. The article says that Gerasimov had already departed for Russia when Ukraine attacked.

The attack did kill a major general.

“General Gerasimov had been in eastern Ukraine for several days and arrived on Saturday during the day at School No. 12, which was being used as a base by Russia’s Second Combined Arms Army, as well as airborne forces deployed to the region, the senior Ukrainian official said. According to preliminary information gathered by Ukrainian forces, Maj. Gen. Andrei Simonov, who was among the commanders at the base in Izium, was killed in the attack.

“The decision to destroy this object was taken not because of Gerasimov, but because it is an important base of operations,” the official said.”