It has been nearly two years since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war. In this war, the performance of the Russian army was very low, and almost all the dazzling generals collapsed. However, only General Surovikin, with his unique courage and strategy, became the only hope to save the situation of the Russian army.
The first feat of General Surovikin was to convince the Russian decision-makers to retreat from the right bank of the Dnieper River in Kherson on their own initiative. Although the retreat was seen as a defeat in the war, it was the right decision made by Surovikin under the circumstances. Due to the difficult defensive situation in the Kherson region, Surovikin realized that failure to hold the area would lead to the total annihilation of the Russian army by the Ukrainian army. Therefore, he persuaded Putin and other high-ranking bigwigs to make up their minds to retreat. He used the tactics of concealing the truth and revealing the false, withdrawing a large number of Kherson civilians, forming a blank area on the battlefield, confusing the Ukrainian army, and preventing the rout of the Russian army.
Surovikin's second feat was the use of strategic bombers to violently bomb Ukrainian infrastructure. This large-scale bombardment has severely hit Ukraine's power supply facilities and infrastructure operations, causing serious difficulties for Ukraine. Although this did not defeat Ukraine, it caused a certain weakening of the equipment and combat capability of the Ukrainian army.
Surovikin's third feat was the construction of a complex defense system of hundreds of kilometers in the Donbass-Zaporozhye region, known as the "Surovikin Line". This line of defense is composed of a complex defensive system that stretches for hundreds of kilometers, including anti-tank trenches, dragon's tooth anti-tank triangular cones, etc. This line of defense effectively stopped the large-scale offensive of the mechanized units of the Ukrainian army and became an impregnable wall for the Russian army.
Surovikin's courage and strategy saved the Russian army and became the only one to turn the tide in the Ukrainian campaign. His decision not only protected the Russian army from the danger of annihilation, but also continued the combat effectiveness of the Russian army. Although he will eventually fall in 2023, his contribution to the Russian army is undoubtedly not negligible.
Although Surovikin showed a certain courage and strategy in the Russian-Ukrainian war and became an important figure in saving the situation of the Russian army, he also had some obvious flaws and responsibilities that led to the defeat of the war.
First of all, Surovikin's decision to retreat brought serious strategic losses to the Russian army. Although he retreated from Kherson to protect the main forces of the Russian army, it also led to the capture of the Kherson region by Ukrainian forces, which gave them a more favorable strategic position. Surovikin's decision to retreat can be said to be a strategy of "taking a step back and opening up the sky", but it also gives Ukraine more strategic advantages.
Secondly, Surovikin's tactics of bombing Ukrainian infrastructure did not achieve the desired results. Although this tactic has seriously damaged the operation of Ukraine's power supply facilities and infrastructure and caused serious difficulties to Ukraine, it has not weakened the combat capability and combat effectiveness of the Ukrainian army. The Ukrainian army is still able to carry out effective offensives and counterattacks, putting enormous pressure on the Russian army.
Finally, the "Surovikin Line" built by Surovikin in the Donbass-Zaporozhye region did not work as expected. Although this line of defense effectively stopped the large-scale offensive of the mechanized units of the Ukrainian army, it did not prevent the Ukrainian army from occupying other cities and areas of the region. The further penetration of the Ukrainian army into the region has increased the defensive burden of the Russian army and exacerbated the strategic dilemma of the Russian army.
In general, Surovikin's flaws and failures are mainly reflected in his decision to retreat, his tactics of bombing Ukrainian infrastructure, and the construction of the "Surovikin Line". These decisions and tactics did not achieve the desired results, but instead brought serious strategic losses and strategic dilemmas to the Russian army. Surovikin's performance in the war was not perfect, and it was also one of the important reasons for the defeat of the Russian-Ukrainian war.