Aleksandr Dvornikov | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Native name | Александр Владимирович Дворников |
| Nickname | Butcher of Syria[1][2] |
| Born | (1961-08-22)22 August 1961 (age 64) Ussuriysk,Primorsky Krai, Soviet Union |
| Allegiance |
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| Branch | |
| Years of service | 1978–present |
| Rank | Army general |
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Aleksandr Vladimirovich Dvornikov (Russian:Александр Владимирович Дворников; born 22 August 1961) is a former Russianarmy general who commanded theRussian military intervention in Syria and theRussian invasion of Ukraine.
After joining theSoviet 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 theRussian 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 asthose in Chechnya before.[4][5]
In April 2022, Dvornikov was placed in charge of military operations during the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, until he was replaced withColonel generalGennady Zhidko late in May 2022.[6] Since 2024, he is the chairman ofDOSAAF of Russia.[7]
Dvornikov was born on 22 August 1961 inUssuriysk. He graduated from theUssuriysk Suvorov Military School in 1978 and joined theSoviet Army. Dvornikov received further education at theMoscow High Command Training School, graduating in 1982.[8] From 1982, he served in theFar Eastern Military District as a platoon and then company commander, and as a battalion chief of staff. In 1991, Dvornikov graduated from theFrunze Military Academy. He became a deputy battalion commander in theWestern Group of Forces.[8]
Between 1992 and 1994, Dvornikov commanded the 154th Separate Motor Rifle Battalion of the6th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade. In 1995, he became chief of staff and deputy commander of the10th Guards Tank Division's 248th Motor Rifle Regiment. Dvornikov became regimental commander in 1996. On 20 January 1996, he was awarded theOrder of Military Merit. On 2 February 1996, he was awarded theOrder of Courage.[8][9]
In 1997, he transferred to command the1st Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of the2nd Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Division in theMoscow Military District. Between 2000 and 2003 he was chief of staff and then commander of the19th Motor Rifle Division[10] in theNorth Caucasus Military District. On 6 May 2000, he was awarded theOrder "For Merit to the Fatherland" 4th class with swords. Dvornikov graduated from theMilitary Academy of the General Staff in 2005.[8][9]
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In 2005, Dvornikov became deputy commander and chief of staff of the36th Army in theSiberian Military District. In 2008, he took command of the5th Red Banner Army. Dvornikov became deputy commander of theEastern Military District in 2011. From May 2012 to June 2016, he served as chief of staff and first deputy commander of theCentral Military District. Between November and December 2012, he was acting commander of the district.[11]
On 13 December 2012, Dvornikov became alieutenant general. On 13 December 2014, he was promoted tocolonel general.[8]
In September 2015, Dvornikov became the first commander of theRussian Armed Forces in Syria during theRussian military intervention in Syria. On 17 March 2016, he was awarded the titleHero of the Russian Federation for his leadership.[11]
In July 2016, Dvornikov became theSouthern Military District's acting commander. He was confirmed in the position on 20 September 2016.[8][12]
By a decree from President Putin, Dvornikov was promoted to the rank of army general on 23 June 2020.[13]
In March 2019, theEuropean Union enacted sanctions on him due to his role in theKerch Strait incident.[citation needed]
He was sanctioned byCanada under the Special Economic Measures Act (S.C. 1992, c. 17) in relation to theRussian invasion of Ukraine for Grave Breach of International Peace and Security,[14] and by theUK government in 2019 in relation to theRusso-Ukrainian War.[15]
On 10 April 2022, Dvornikov was placed in complete charge of military operations during the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[3][16] Before his appointment, there had not been a single military leader for all Russian forces; he had been one of several in charge of various fronts.[3]
On 3 June 2022 it was reported by theopen-source intelligence groupConflict Intelligence Team, citing Russian soldiers, that Dvornikov had been replaced by Colonel GeneralGennady Zhidko in command of the invasion.[17] However, on 5 June Ukrainian governor of Luhansk OblastSerhiy Haidai said Dvornikov was still in command and had been given until 10 June by his superiors to complete theBattle of Severodonetsk.[18]
On 25 June 2022, it was again reported that Dvornikov had been dismissed from his post.[19]
On 8 October 2022, theRussian Defence Ministry named Air Force GeneralSergey Surovikin as the overall commander of Russian forces fighting in Ukraine without naming who Surovikin was replacing.[6]
Dvornikov's military reputation is often cited in the international press for the harsh conduct of his military campaigns, particularly in Chechnya and Syria. He has been accused of having pursuedscorched earth tactics. Retired US Navy AdmiralJames G. Stavridis spoke in an interview of what he said was a known epithet of Dvornikov, "Butcher of Syria".[4][5]
However, theInstitute for the Study of War has noted that although Dvornikov's tenure was marked by large numbers of civilian deaths, it was not especially bloody compared to the operation as a whole, as the Russian military targeted Syrian civilians and critical infrastructure throughoutits intervention in Syria.[20] According to an investigation by Cathrin Schaer and Emad Hassan published in the German state-funded mediaDeutsche Welle, statistics also show that Dvornikov did not open up a new and more violent chapter in the Syrian war.[21][20]
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