Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a significant reorganization of military logistics and support units involved in the campaign in Ukraine. During a meeting with senior military officials on Wednesday, Putin emphasized the need to place all rear-area support services under a single, unified command to enhance operational efficiency.

Valery Solodchuk, former commander of the Central Military District, was appointed to lead the restructured rear support services. Solodchuk played a prominent role in the invasion of eastern Ukraine and will be succeeded in his previous post by Andrey Ivanayev. The reorganization reflects Russia’s efforts to adapt its armed forces based on lessons learned and the evolving operational demands of the conflict.

Putin also highlighted recent changes within the Russian military, including a personnel increase of 25,000 troops, bringing the total armed forces to approximately 2.426 million, with 1.535 million classified as active soldiers. In addition, command of Russia’s drone units was transferred to Denis Lyamin, signaling an increased emphasis on unmanned technologies in ongoing military operations.

During the meeting, Putin praised the Vostok (East) group for its “energetic” advances on the ground, describing their pace of operations as deserving “the highest recognition.” The changes come amid the continuation of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022 and has resulted in sustained combat across multiple fronts. The restructuring of logistics and command is seen as part of Russia’s strategy to improve coordination and support capabilities in the protracted conflict.