Military expert Evgenii Mikhailov commented on rumors about a so-called «honorable exile» of former commander of the Joint Forces Grouping in the SVO zone, Army General and Hero of Russia Sergei Surovikin. Speaking to Tsargrad, Mikhailov stressed that Surovikin’s work as chief adviser to the Russian Ministry of Defense on Africa is a responsible and strategically important mission.

According to Mikhailov, France is currently attempting to regain control over key resource-rich regions in Africa. In this context, he says, Surovikin — who possesses substantial combat experience — is capable of preventing serious consequences for African states cooperating with Russia that could arise from the actions of Paris and its allies.

Mikhailov describes Surovikin as a highly experienced and tough military commander with a strategic mindset. He argues that Surovikin was assigned to the African direction specifically to counter NATO interests in the region, even with relatively limited forces, since Russia remains heavily engaged with other priorities in the SVO zone.

Tsargrad notes that the African Corps carries out a broad range of tasks. These include training the armed forces of allied states such as Mali and Burkina Faso, providing operational security in the region, countering the activities of foreign intelligence services, and preventing NATO from creating a new center of instability on the African continent. The outlet emphasizes that Sergei Surovikin plays a key role in this process.

It is also not ruled out that after completing his mission in Africa, Surovikin could return to Russia to assume a high-level military or state position.