Yuri Viktorovich Kuznetsov | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Юрий Викторович Кузнецов |
| Born | 24 August 1946 Borzya, Chita Oblast, Soviet Union |
| Died | 24 January 2020 (aged 73) Blagoveshchensk, Russia |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union Russia |
| Service | Soviet/Russian Airborne Forces |
| Years of service | 1964–2002 |
| Rank | General-major |
| Commands | 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment Far Eastern Higher Combined Arms Command School |
| Battles / wars | Soviet–Afghan War |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union Order of Military Merit Order of Lenin Order of the Red Star Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", 1st & 2nd classes |
Yuri Viktorovich Kuznetsov (Russian: Юрий Викторович Кузнецов; 24 August 1946 – 24 January 2020) was a Soviet and Russian military officer who held a number of posts in the Soviet and later Russian Armed Forces, reaching the rank of general-major. He served during the Soviet–Afghan War, receiving the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Kuznetsov entered the Soviet Army in 1964, and after studying at the Far Eastern Higher Combined Arms Command School he joined the 217th Guards Airborne Regiment, where he would spend the next several years, rising through the ranks and becoming a battalion commander. After further studies at the Frunze Military Academy, he was sent to Afghanistan with the 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment. He rose to command the regiment during his service during the Soviet–Afghan War, and was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union in 1982. After further postings as deputy commander of the 106th Guards Airborne Division, commander of the 8th Guards Motor Rifle Division and deputy commander of the 35th Combined Arms Army, Kuznetsov's final military service was as head of the Far Eastern Higher Combined Arms Command School, before his retirement in 2002.
With his retirement from military life, Kuznetsov settled in Blagoveshchensk and became active in local government, serving as a deputy in the city and regional dumas, and as an advisor to the deputy governor on the region. He had received a number of awards during his career, and on his death in 2020, politicians at the local and national levels paid tribute to his service.