Andrey Serdyukov | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Native name | Андрей Николаевич Сердюков |
| Born | (1962-03-04)4 March 1962 (age 63) |
| Allegiance | Soviet Union Russian Federation |
| Branch | Soviet Airborne Forces Russian Airborne Forces |
| Years of service | 1983–present |
| Commands |
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| Battles / wars |
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| Awards | Hero of the Russian Federation Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" 3rd class |
Andrey Nikolaevich Serdyukov (Russian:Андрей Николаевич Сердюков; born 4 March 1962) is aRussian Airborne Forcescolonel general who wascommander of the Russian Airborne Forces from 2016 to 2022. He also commanded theOperational Group of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria from 2022 to 2023 and has been theChief of the Joint Staff of theCollective Security Treaty Organization since 2023.
Serdyukov served in theSoviet Airborne Forces as a junior officer and rose to battalion command. He graduated from theFrunze Military Academy and became a deputy regimental commander in the Russian Airborne Troops and then a regimental commander. Serdyukov fought in theFirst Chechen War and served as a deputy brigade commander in Kosovo, participating in theIncident at Pristina airport. Between 2002 and 2003 he led the138th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade and in 2004 took command of the106th Guards Airborne Division.
After graduating from theMilitary Academy of the General Staff in 2009, Serdyukov became deputy commander of the5th Red Banner Army, taking command of the army in 2011. In 2013, he became deputy commander and then chief of staff of theSouthern Military District. While in this position, Serdyukov led troops in theannexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and commandedRussian troops in the Donbas. He became commander of the Russian Airborne Troops in October 2016 and was replaced in June 2022 byMikhail Teplinsky.
According to official Russian sources, Serdyukov was born on 4 March 1962 inUglegorsky,Tatsinsky District,Rostov Oblast. Other sources state he was born inAmvrosiivka.[2] In 1983, he graduated from theRyazan Higher Airborne Command School.[3] He became commander of a reconnaissance platoon of the regimental reconnaissance company in the104th Guards Airborne Division.[4] Serdyukov became deputy company commander, company commander, chief of staff, deputy battalion commander, and then a battalion commander.[5]
In 1993, Serdyukov graduated from theFrunze Military Academy. He became deputy commander of a regiment in the76th Guards Airborne Division. Serdyukov fought in theFirst Chechen War. In 1995 he took command of the237th Guards Airborne Regiment in the division. Between 1997 and 1998 he was chief of staff, deputy commander, and commander of the104th Guards Airborne Regiment in the division. He was later deputy commander of the division.
Serdyukov was for one year a deputy brigade commander of Russian units inKosovo.[3] In Kosovo, he participated in theIncident at Pristina airport, a standoff between the Russian troops andNATO peacekeeping forces.[4]
Serdyukov served two one-year rotations inChechnya.[4]
On 10 March 2002, Serdyukov became acting commander of the138th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade in theLeningrad Military District. He was confirmed in the post on 11 July 2002, and commanded the brigade until 9 June 2003. From June 2004 to 2007, Serdyukov was commander of the106th Guards Airborne Division.
After his 2009 graduation from theMilitary Academy of the General Staff, Serdyukov became deputy commander of the5th Red Banner Army. He took command of the army in January 2011.[5]
In February 2013, Serdyukov became deputy commander of theSouthern Military District. On 4 October 2013, Serdyukov became chief of staff and first deputy commander of the Southern Military District.[3]
Serdyukov led Russian forces in the spring 2014Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.[4] Using the code name "Sedov", Serdyukov commanded the grouping ofRussian troops in the Donbas in August 2015.[2]
As of June 2022, Serdyukov was listed in the Australian "Autonomous Sanctions (Designated Persons and Entities and Declared Persons - Ukraine) List 2014".[6]
On 4 October 2016, Serdyukov was appointed commander of theRussian Airborne Troops, replacing Colonel GeneralVladimir Shamanov.[7] He was presented the Airborne flag on 10 October by defense ministerSergey Shoygu.[3]
On 15 September 2017, Serdyukov was seriously injured during an accident on theR21 highway inMurmansk Oblast while supervising Airborne exercises: aChevrolet Lanos smashed into his minivan, rolling it over. The crash was reported in the Russian media four days later, with Serdyukov reported to be in "satisfactory condition" with a seriouscraniocerebral trauma and fracture of the back; he was taken to the intensive care unit of the 1469th Naval Military Hospital of theNorthern Fleet. Airborne Troops deputy commander Major GeneralVladimir Kochetkov also suffered fractures, while the driver of the passenger car was killed.[8] Serdyukov recovered by 15 November, when he chaired a meeting of the Military Council of the Airborne Troops.[9]
From 10 April 2019 to late September 2019, he was the Commander of the troops for theRussian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War toSyria.[10]
On January 7, 2022, he was appointed Commander of the CSTO peacekeeping forces in Kazakhstan.[11][12]
On 2 February 2022, Serdyukov was rumoured by theFinancial Times to be commander of Russian troops that would be sent into Ukraine, if such an action would be taken.[13]
On 19 June 2022, it was reported by Odesa military-civilian spokesperson Serhiy Bratchuk[14][15] thatVladimir Putin had sacked Serdyukov for hisdoomed bid to takeHostomel airfield in which few of the invading soldiers survived.[14][16][15] This was confirmed by Russian media reports.[17] He was replaced by Colonel GeneralMikhail Teplinsky.[18] After his dismissal, Serdyukov was sent to Syria to commandthe Russian Group of Forces in that country.[19]
In November 2023, he was appointed chief of joint staff of the CSTO.[20]
He was sanctioned by theUK government in 2022 in relation to theRusso-Ukrainian War.[21]
Serdyukov has received the following awards.[22]
Leadership of theRussian Airborne Forces | ||
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| Commander |  | |
| Chiefs of Staff and First Deputy Commander(since 1998) | ||
| First Deputy Commander(until 1997) | ||
| Chief of Staff(until 1998) | ||
| Deputy Commander | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
