Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, expressed his opinion about Sergey Surovikin, the commander of Russian troops in Ukraine: he is a typical commander of the Peter I era.
Source: Zaluzhnyi in an interview with
The Economist
Quote: "With all due respect to Mr Surovikin, if you look at him, he is an ordinary commander of the times of Peter I, let's say, a regular derzhimorda [a brutal martinet in Hohol’s "The Government Inspector" – ed.]. You look at him and understand that either you fulfil the task or you are done. And a long time ago, we understood that this approach does not work."
Details: According to the Commander-in-Chief, everything is different in the Ukrainian army, for example, sometimes 21-year-old lieutenants give orders to men who are 50-60 years old. And it is impossible to "keep order with fists and biceps" in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Quote: "One can always be normal. To be normal means to remain human in any situation – this is the most important thing. To remain human, and to become a leader. Be smarter, be stronger, be more talented and then try to lead people. This is the religion I follow."
More details: Zaluzhnyi stressed that he trusts his generals and listens to those on the field. "Because the initiative is there," explained the Commander-in-Chief of Ukrainian troops.