US doubts new Russian war chief can end Moscow’s floundering

By ROBERT BURNS and HOPE YEN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia has tapped a new Ukraine war commander to take centralized control of the next phase of battle after its costly failures in the opening campaign and carnage for Ukrainian civilians. U.S. officials don’t see one man making a difference in Moscow’s prospects. But they do see more ugly times ahead. Russia turned to Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, one of Russia’s most experienced military officers. That’s according to a senior U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity. U.S. officials say Dvornikov has a record of brutality against civilians in Syria and to expect more of the same in Ukraine.