together with Putin's cowardly avoidance of responsibility for the failure suggests he has passed the buck of managing the Ukraine War to his military people.
Unfortunately, they are likely to be more competent. General Putin's stubborn streak was a great advantage because it meant he was both predictable and incapable of permitting his troops to retreat. Hence the failures in Kiev, Kharkiv and Kherson, each of which were run from the top disastrously - Putin's hubris and inexperience causing many of the problems.
The new guy in charge, Surovikin, is going to be a tougher nut to crack, in my view. He starts at a disadvantage because Russian forces have been decimated. But he's brutal and will do the best with what he has. And as the territory Russia controls reduces, so also his forces will concentrate and become more dangerous. He's also realistic, retreating behind the Dnieper/Dnipro river as a strong defensive line and preparing the defence of Crimea ahead of a possible future retreat. It's clear that Crimea is the jewel Russia wishes to keep more than anything else.
The good news is if he starts to do well, General Putin will once again assume command so as to claim any advances Surovikin delivers. And that will reverse them soon enough.
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