General who led Syrian bombing campaign is new face of Russia's war in Ukraine

The general carrying out President Vladimir Putin's new military strategy in Ukraine has a reputation for brutality — for bombing civilians in Russia's campaign in Syria. Key points: Sergei Surovikin takes charge of Russian forces in Ukraine on October 8 Human Rights Watch says he, among others, is responsible for violations during the 2019-20 Syrian offensive He acknowledges that Russia is in a "difficult" position in the face of the Ukrainian counteroffensive He also played a role in the deaths of three protesters in Moscow during the failed coup against Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991 that hastened the demise of the Soviet Union. But even as hard-liners expected General Surovikin to ramp up strikes on Ukraine, his first public statements after his appointment sounded more like a recognition of the Russian military's vulnerabilities than blustery threats. In remarks on Russian state television, General Surovikin acknowledged that Russian forces in southern Ukraine were in a "quite difficult position" in the face of Ukrainian counteroffensive. In a 2020 report, Human Rights Watch named General Surovikin, along with Mr Putin, Mr Assad and other figures as bearing command responsibility for violations during the 2019-20 Syrian offensive in Idlib province.