MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and architect of the country’s war in Ukraine, the “Courage” medal. The decree published on the official website for legal documents in Russia, the honor was given in recognition of Gerasimov’s “courage, bravery, and self-sacrifice,” Reuters reported this morning. “Gerasimov is believed to hold one of three “nuclear briefcases” that can authorize a nuclear strike. He played a key role in the 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and in providing critical military support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during that country’s civil war,” said the report. Valery Gerasimov is a powerful and influential figure within the Russian military, with the International Criminal Court issuing an arrest warrant for him in connection with “war crimes” in Ukraine.
