WATERLOO – As its war with Ukraine enters its eighth month, Russia has named a new commander to oversee all of its soldiers there.

Russian forces were previously commanded by Army General Sergei Surovikin, who is also in charge of the country’s air force. After a string of setbacks, including significant troop and equipment losses and the loss of thousands of square miles of occupied territory, his new position will involve inspiring Russian troops.

The nomination of Surovikin comes shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his intention to enlist hundreds of thousands of Russian men in the military. Since World War II, Moscow has not enlisted people in the military until Putin’s command for over 300,000 Russians to fight in Ukraine.

A string of astounding Ukrainian victories in recent weeks contributed to the Kremlin’s decision to impose a partial draught.

Putin announced last week that four districts of Ukraine now belonged to Russia. The Russian leader referenced referendums that were held in parts of Ukraine that were under Russian control and were widely seen to be manipulated and unlawful by Western nations.

On September 30, Putin remarked, “The findings are known, fully recognised.” The Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson are referred to as “four new regions of Russia.”

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, announced after Putin’s speech that he will submit a “expedited” application for his nation to join the NATO military alliance.

Armed with an arsenal of Western weapons, Ukrainian forces have recaptured enormous tracts of land that Russian forces had held since the beginning of the conflict. Their victories on the battlefield have damaged the Kremlin’s formidable war machine’s reputation.

However, there has been a tremendous cost to people as Ukraine strives to regain territory one hamlet at a time.

According to U.N. estimates, more than 6,000 civilians have died and more than 8,600 have been injured as a result of Russia’s invasion thus far. The number of fatalities in Ukraine is probably greater, according to the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.