Vladimir Shamanov | |
|---|---|
| Владимир Шаманов | |
 Official portrait, 2010 | |
| Member of theState Duma (Party List Seat) | |
| Assumed office 5 October 2016 | |
| Chairman of the Defence Committee of theState Duma | |
| In office 5 October 2016 – 12 October 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Vladimir Komoyedov [ru] |
| Succeeded by | Andrey Kartapolov |
| 2nd Governor of Ulyanovsk Oblast | |
| In office January 19, 2001 – November 15, 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Yury Goryachev |
| Succeeded by |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 February 1957 (1957-02-15) (age 68) |
| Political party | United Russia |
| Spouse | Lyudmila Shamanova |
| Education | |
| Awards | Hero of Russian Federation |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union (until 1991) Russia (since 1991) |
| Branch/service | |
| Years of service | 1978–2016 |
| Rank | Colonel General |
| Commands |
|
| Battles/wars | |
Vladimir Anatolievich Shamanov (Russian:Владимир Анатольевич Шаманов, born 15 February 1957) is a retiredColonel General of theRussian Armed Forces who was Commander-in-Chief of theRussian Airborne Troops (VDV) from May 2009[1] to October 2016 and aRussianpolitician. After his retirement in October 2016, Shamanov became head of theState Duma Defense Committee.
Vladimir Shamanov entered theTashkent Higher Tank Command School in 1974. He commanded a battalion in the76th Guards Air Assault Division in 1985–86, attended theFrunze Academy, graduated in 1989, was a deputy airborne regiment commander in Moldova, regimental commander in Azerbaijan, became division chief of staff for7th Guards Airborne Division inNovorossiysk, fought in the Chechen War, and became there the senior commander for the Ground Forces there in April 1996.[2]
He received theHero of the Russian Federation decoration for his service inChechnya, buthuman-rights groups have criticized him strongly forwar crimes committed by Russian Federation troops under his orders during theFirst Chechen War of 1994–1996 and theSecond Chechen War of 1999–2009. Shamanov was removed from duty in January 2000 for "health reasons",[citation needed] and for a period he served as a civilian politician, becoming the electedgovernor (2001–2004) of theUlyanovsk Oblast region of theRussian Federation.
As of 2007 Shamanov operated as a counselor to Russia'sdefense minister,Sergei Ivanov, and as co-chairman of theU.S - Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs (USRJC) which seeks to determine the fates of U.S. personnel who remain unaccounted-for fromWorld War II and from theCold War Era. In November 2007Kommersant reported his impending return to theMinistry of Defence.[3]
In August 2008 Shamanov commanded the Russian forces inAbkhazia during the2008 South Ossetia war againstGeorgia.[4] On August 12, 2008, he took control over 9,600 Russian servicemen in Abkhazia and led them during thefight withGeorgian forces for control over theUpper Kodori Gorge.[5][6]
On 26 May 2009 Vladimir Shamanov became the new commander of theVDV, replacing Lieutenant-GeneralValeriy Yevtukhovich [ru] after Yevtukhovich reached the age of 55 and was discharged to the reserve.[7]Dmitry Medvedev appointed Shamanov to neutralize discontent over the cuts and reorganisations as a result of the2008 reform programme.[citation needed] Although Shamanov supported the programme, he cancelled all cuts and changes in the VDV and announced reinforcement for the airborne troops.[8]
On 4 October 2016 Shamanov retired from theRussian Armed Forces and became head of theState Duma Defence Committee.[9]
He was sanctioned by theUK government in 2014 in relation to theRusso-Ukrainian War.[10]
Shamanov has an image of an "over-the-top" ruthless man among the other Russian military leaders, with certain insurgency-related sources calling him the "Butcher ofChechnya."[11] Already during theFirst Chechen War, theChechen Insurgency claimed Shamanov to be the reincarnation ofAlexey Yermolov, alluding to theRussian Imperial general of the 19th centuryCaucasian War, who was famous in his time for his merciless policy towards the local rebel fighters and their supporters among civilians.[12]
AsGennady Troshev, another Russian commander in Chechnya, wrote in his bookMy War, Shamanov "was too hot-tempered and direct in his relations with the Chechen population" [preferring] "to choose the shortest way to victory (...) [which] resulted in numerous casualties among Russian soldiers."[13]
Aslambek Aslakhanov, a retiredMVD general who wasVladimir Putin's advisor on Chechnya, called Shamanov a "butcher" and a "one-man curse on theChechen people": "Chechens talk about Shamanov like a plague that has descended on their heads, a disease likeAIDS. He is drowning in blood. He cynically believes that all Chechens – men and women, even children – are bandits."[14]
The director of theMoscow office ofMemorial, the human rights group founded by the lateNobel Peace Prize laureateAndrei Sakharov, said: "His subordinates are definitely guilty of war crimes, and I believe a serious investigation would show Shamanov’s direct guilt in war crimes as well, that he ordered them. He has a seriousxenophobic streak. He’s cruel, but it comes from his sense of duty. He’s honest about it, but that doesn’t make it less frightening."[14]
In December 1999 Shamanov was awarded his secondHero of the Russian Federation medal for actions around the village ofAlkhan-Yurt earlier that month. However,Human Rights Watch (HRW) have asked the Russian government to open an investigation into his rolethe incident in Chechnya, which HRW has declared a "massacre."[15] Shamanov was reported as threatening to shoot villagers who pleaded with him to halt the abuses. Later, he dismissed calls for accountability for the abuses, saying that the Russian soldiers were doing "a sacred thing".[16] In aNovaya Gazeta interview published in June 2000, Shamanov eventually admitted there have been numerous cases oflooting by the Russian military in Chechnya,[17] but he also said he viewed his image as a "cruel general" as a compliment and that he believed the wives and children of rebel fighters to also be "bandits" who needed to be "destroyed".[13] Nevertheless, he denied the accusations ofhuman rights violations in the foreign media. In the 2004The Washington Post interview, Shamanov rejected the allegations as "fairy tales" and suggested that human rights groups had planted the bodies in Alkhan-Yurt and "fabricated" a slaughter.[18]
Shamanov's forces are also believed to have looted and pillaged and killed in the other places during the second Chechen campaign, among them atKatyr-Yurt (in 2005 theEuropean Court of Human Rights held Russia responsible for civilian deaths during the indiscriminatebombing of Katyr-Yurt[19]),Shami-Yurt andGekhi-Chu.[14]
In March 2000, Shamanov exhibited strong sympathy towards the war crimes suspectColonelYuri Budanov. Budanov, Shamanov trumpeted, was one of his "best commanders" and offered this challenge: "Don't put your paws on the image of a Russian soldier and officer."[11] Later, Shamanov came toRostov-on-the-Don to defend Budanov during trial and expressed his solidarity with him. Ultimately, Budanov was convicted for the March 2000kidnapping and murder of the young Chechen womanElza Kungaeva. On September 21, 2004, Shamanov, now the Ulyanovsk regional governor, backed a pardon for Budanov, sparking anger in Chechnya even among the pro-Moscow locals.[20]
In March 2007 Shamanov met in theWhite House with theU.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush, which was criticised by human rights groups.[18][21][22][23] "This isn't someone the U.S. president should be meeting with. This is someone the president should be calling for an investigation of," HRW commented.[24] Later, the White House explained that it was not aware of the allegations against the general before their meeting and that it is "unlikely" that Bush would have meet and pose to photo with Shamanov if he had been aware of the allegations.[25]
In September 2010, MOD Serdyukov helped Shamanov out of a scandal when he tried to order a detachment from the VDV's45th Independent Reconnaissance Regiment to detain an investigator looking into the business of his son-in-law Anatoly "Glyba" Khramushin, a well-known criminal figure. Shamanov had to admit to "inappropriate behaviour" and only got a reprimand for this incident. He could easily have been dismissed.[8][26]
On October 30, 2010, inTula, general Shamanov'sBMW 525 was hit by aMAZ truck. The general's driver was killed on impact, while he and two passengers (Shamanov's assistant Colonel Oleg Chernousand and ColonelAlexey Naumets, the acting commander of the 106th Airborne Division) were seriously injured and hospitalized. Vladimir Shamanov had a brain concussion and had his arm broken. The same evening the general was visited byVladimir Putin at theBurdenko Main Military Clinical Hospital inMoscow.[27][28] General Shamanov was discharged from the hospital on 27 December 2010.[29]
Генерал-лейтенант Владимир Шаманов в ближайшее время будет назначен начальником главного управления боевой подготовки и службы войск Вооруженных сил РФ, пишет во вторник 'Коммерсант'.
Vladimir Shamanov, the former commander of federal troops in Chechnya, is now in charge of the Russian forces in Abkhazia.
A source in the Russian Defense Ministry earlier told TASS that first deputy commander of the Southern Military District Serdyukov would replace Vladimir Shamanov as Airborne Troops commander. Shamanov, for his part, took up the position of the head of the State Duma (lower house of parliament) Defense Committee.
Leadership of theRussian Airborne Forces | ||
|---|---|---|
| Commander |  | |
| Chiefs of Staff and First Deputy Commander(since 1998) | ||
| First Deputy Commander(until 1997) | ||
| Chief of Staff(until 1998) | ||
| Deputy Commander | ||
