Sergey Kisel | |
|---|---|
 Kisel in 2020 | |
| Native name | Сергей Александрович Кисель |
| Born | (1971-03-27)27 March 1971 (age 54) |
| Allegiance |  Russia |
| Branch |  Russian Ground Forces |
| Years of service | 1990–present |
| Commands | |
| Battles / wars | |
Sergey Aleksandrovich Kisel (Russian:Сергей Александрович Кисель, born 27 March 1971) is aRussian Ground Forces officer who commanded theRussian Armed Forces Operational Group in Syria from 2023 to 2024.
Previously, he was the commander of the1st Guards Tank Army from 2018 to 2022, and was relieved of command after the failure to captureKharkov at the start of theRussian invasion of Ukraine. Kisel was sent to Syria in May 2022, and was appointed commander of the Russian Operational Group in Syria in November 2023, replacing Colonel GeneralAndrey Serdyukov.[1][2]
Kisel was born in 1971 and is a graduate of theTashkent Higher Tank Command School, theCombined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and theGeneral Staff Academy. He held commands at levels from a platoon to a motor rifle brigade.[3] In the early 2010s he commanded the19th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade of the58th Army, stationed inNorth Ossetia, before being appointed the chief of staff and first deputy commander of the20th Army in September 2016.[4]
In April 2018 he was appointed commander of the1st Guards Tank Army.[5]
During the earlyRussian invasion of Ukraine Kisel was relieved of command, and was sent to Syria in May 2022.[1] He became commander of the Operational Group of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria in November 2023.[1][2]
There were reports by Russian military bloggers in early December 2024 that he was relieved of command of forces in Syria after thefall of Aleppo toSyrian opposition forces, and replaced by Colonel GeneralAleksandr Chaiko, though the Russian Ministry of Defense has not publicly commented on the matter.[1][6]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commander of the19th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade 2010–2014 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander of the1st Guards Tank Army 2018–2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander of theOperational Group of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria 2023–2024 | Succeeded by |