Aleksandr Dvornikov

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Vladimirovich and the family name is Dvornikov.

Aleksandr Dvornikov
Dvornikov in 2021
Native name
Александр Владимирович Дворников
Nickname(s)Butcher of Syria[3]
Born (1961-08-22) 22 August 1961 (age 63)
Ussuriysk, Primorsky Krai, Soviet Union
Allegiance Soviet Union
 Russia
Service / branch Soviet Army
 Russian Ground Forces
Years of service1978–present
RankArmy general
Commands19th Motor Rifle Division
5th Red Banner Army
Central Military District (9 November – 24 December 2012; interim)
Russian Armed Forces in Syria
Southern Military District
Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine[4]
Battles / wars
AwardsHero of the Russian Federation
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" 4th class
Order of Courage
Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR 3rd class
Order of Military Merit
Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" 2nd class

Aleksandr Vladimirovich Dvornikov (Russian: Александр Владимирович Дворников; born 22 August 1961) is a former Russian army general who commanded the Russian military intervention in Syria and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

After joining the Soviet Army in 1978, Dvornikov rose through the ranks of the Soviet and then Russian army over a period of thirty years. In 2015, he became commander of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria during the Russian military intervention there. At that time he cemented a reputation for the harsh conduct of his military campaigns as those in Chechnya before.[5][6]

In April 2022, Dvornikov was placed in charge of military operations during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, until he was replaced with Colonel general Gennady Zhidko late in May 2022.[7]

  1. ^ Schaer, Cathrin; Hassan, Emad (12 April 2022). "Does Russian commander in Ukraine deserve his 'bloody' reputation?". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  2. ^ Zoll, Patrick (14 April 2022). "Russia's "Butcher of Syria" chosen to lead attack on Ukraine". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  3. ^ [1][2]
  4. ^ Berger, Miriam; Pietsch, Bryan (10 April 2022). "What to know about Russia's new top commander in Ukraine". The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  5. ^ Madani, Doha; Kube, Courtney; Smith, Alexander (10 April 2022). "Russia appoints general with cruel history to oversee Ukraine offensive". NBC News. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  6. ^ Wu, David (11 April 2022). "White House officials claim Russia has chosen General Alexander Dvornikov to head Ukraine as locals return to Kyiv". Sky News. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Russia names air force general to lead its forces in Ukraine". 8 October 2022.