Aleksandr Lapin | |
|---|---|
 Lapin in 2018 | |
| Native name | Александр Павлович Лапин |
| Birth name | Aleksandr Pavlovich Lapin |
| Born | (1964-01-01)1 January 1964 (age 61)[1] |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union Russia |
| Branch |  Russian Ground Forces |
| Years of service | 1982–2025 |
| Rank | Colonel general |
| Commands | Leningrad Military District (16 May 2024 to 21 September 2025) Central Military District (22 November 2017 to 29 October 2022) Eastern Military District (April 2017 to 22 November 2017; acting) |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards |  (2022)[2] |
Aleksandr Pavlovich Lapin (Russian:Александр Павлович Лапин; born 1 January 1964) is a retiredRussian army officer and former commander of theLeningrad Military District between 16 May 2024 and 21 September 2025. He was promoted to the rank ofcolonel general in 2019.
He was the commander of the Army Groups "Center" and "North" of the Russian Army Forces in theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[3] On 10 January 2023, he was appointed Chief of Staff of theRussian Ground Forces.[4]
Lapin was born on 1 January 1964. After graduating from high school, he studied at theKazan Chemical–Technological Institute from 1981 to 1982. From 1982 to 1984 he served in the ranks of theSoviet Army in theSoviet Air Defense Forces. After that, he entered theKazan Higher Tank Command School named after the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of theTatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, from which he graduated in 1988. After graduation, he served as commander of a tank platoon and tank company in theLeningrad Military District and in the Coastal Forces of theNorthern Fleet.
In 1997, he graduated from theMalinovsky Military Armored Forces Academy. After graduation, he served in the58th Combined Arms Army as the commander of a separate tank battalion. Since 1999, Lapin was the chief of staff, commander of the 429th Motor Rifle Regiment of the19th Motor Rifle Division. From 2001 to 2003, he became the Chief of Staff of the 20th Guards Motorized Rifle Carpathian-Berlin Division.
From 2003 to 2006, Lapin became the commander of the 205th Motorized Rifle Cossack Brigade and promoted to major general. From 2006 to 2007, he was the commander of the20th Guards Motor Rifle Division.
In 2009, he graduated from theMilitary Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. After graduating from the academy, he was deputy commander of the 58th Army.
From April 2012 to July 2014, Lapin commanded the20th Guards Combined Arms Army.
In 2014, he was awarded the military rank of Lieutenant General. From 2014 to 2017, he was the Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of theEastern Military District.
In 2017, Lapin became the chief of staff of the grouping of the Russian troops and forces inSyria.[5] He was promoted to colonel general in 2019.[6] From September to November 2017, Lapin was the Head of theCombined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.[citation needed]
Lapin was the commander of theCentral Military District from 22 November 2017.[7][8]
From October 2018 to January 2019, he was the commander of the grouping of the Russian troops and forces inSyria.[citation needed]
In 2020, he graduated from the faculty of retraining and advanced training of the highest command personnel of the Military Academy of the General Staff.[9]
In June 2022 it was revealed that he was the commander of the Army Group "Center" of the Russian Army Forces in theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[3][10] In late March, he visited the front line and awarded a medal to his son, the commander fighting inSumy andChernihiv, just before the Russian army withdrew.[11]
An investigation byNPR alleged that troops under Lapin's command had killed civilians inNova Basan andBobrovytsia during the first months of the invasion and suggested that Lapin could be prosecuted for war crimes under the doctrine ofcommand responsibility if the killings were sufficiently widespread.[12]
Following the October 2022recapture ofLyman by Ukrainian forces, Lapin was heavily criticized by the head of theChechen Republic,Ramzan Kadyrov. Kadyrov blamed Lapin for the Russian retreat, saying he would demote Lapin to the rank of private, strip him of his medals, and send him to the front line barefoot with a light machine gun to "wipe away his shame with blood". The Kremlin told Kadyrov to "set aside emotions" during the "special military operation".[13] On 29 October, Lapin was dismissed as commander from the Central Military District,[14] replaced by Alexander Linkov.[15]
On 10 January 2023 Russian media reported that Lapin had been assigned to the post ofchief of staff of theRussian Ground Forces.[16] In March 2024, he was appointed commander of the troops of the newly createdLeningrad Military District and the "North" group of forces in Ukraine.[17]
In the months leading up to the August 2024Ukrainian incursion into Kursk, Lapin dismantled a border guard council that had been responsible for its protection.[18] In August 2025, due to "deteriorating health" and "his own will", he was removed from his post as commander of the "North" group of forces and replaced by Colonel GeneralYevgeny Nikiforov.[17] On 21 August 2025, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the removal of Lapin from the post of commander of the group of forces "North".[19]
RBK Group has reported that Lapin has been retired from military service and replaced by Colonel GeneralYevgeny Nikiforov as commander of theLeningrad Military District.[20]
On 15 March 2022, against the background of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lapin was placed on the UK sanctions list as being responsible for the deployment of Russian troops involved in the attack on Ukraine.[21][22]
On 5 May, he is listed on Canada's sanctions list for "complicity in President Putin's choice to invade a peaceful and sovereign country." On October 19, 2022, he fell under the sanctions of Ukraine as "involved in the aggression against Ukraine.".[23]
For similar reasons, he is on the sanctions lists of Australia and New Zealand.[22]
He is married and has a son, identified by BBC Russia as Lt. Colonel Denis Aleksandrovich Lapin, commanding officer of the1st Guards Tank Regiment v/ch 58198.[24]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Position re-established | Commander of theLeningrad Military District 2024–present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces 2023–2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander of theCentral Military District 2017–2022 | Succeeded by Alexander Linkov |
| Preceded by | Commander of the20th Guards Combined Arms Army 2012–2014 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by ?? | Deputy Commander of the58th Combined Arms Army 2009–2012 | Succeeded by ?? |
| Preceded by ?? | Commander of the20th Guards Motor Rifle Division 2006–2007 | Succeeded by ?? |
| Preceded by Sergey Istrakov | Commander of the205th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade 2003–2006 | Succeeded by Konstantin Kastornov |
Leadership of theRussian Ground Forces | ||
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| Commander-in-Chief Chief of the Main Directorate(1998–2001) |  | |
| Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief Deputy Chief of the Main Directorate(1998–2001) | ||
| Deputy Commander-in-Chief | ||
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