Russian President Vladimir Putin backed a Defence Ministry proposal to place all military logistics services under a single command.

Speaking at a meeting with the ministry’s leadership, Putin said troop support had become an integral part of combat operations under current conditions.

Valery Solodchuk, who commanded the Centre group of forces, has been appointed head of military logistics. Putin described him as one of the country’s most talented commanders and said his organisational skills would be valuable in the new role.

The president proposed Colonel General Andrey Ivanayev as the new commander of the Centre group. He called it one of Russia’s key formations and said it was carrying out some of the most important and demanding tasks in the operation to take control of territories in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

The reshuffle also affected the East group of forces. Putin praised the pace of its advance in the special military operation zone and announced that the group’s chief of staff, Pyotr Bolgarev, would serve as acting commander.