Knives Out: Russia’s Military Command
President Vladimir Putin dismissed Sergei Shoigu, his defense minister since 2012. But this is not the first time authorities have shuffled, demoted, detained, or dismissed commanders since the start of all-out war on Ukraine in February 2022. Here’s what we know about who’s who and where they are.
Known status:
Incumbent
Dismissed/removed from command
Status unclear
Vladimir Putin
Russian President
Andrei Belousov
New Defense Minister
Sergei Shoigu
Defense Minister
(shifted to head of Security Council)
General
Valery Gerasimov
Chief of General Staff
Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU)
Timur Ivanov**
Deputy Defense Minister
Colonel General
Mikhail Mizintsev*
Top commander of Wagner Group
General
Sergei Surovikin
Former Ukraine theater commander
Lieutenant General
Vladimir Alekseyev
First Deputy Director
Lieutenant General
Yury Kuznetsov***
Head of personnel
Airborne
Forces
Southern Military District
Navy
Admiral
Nikolai Yevmenov
Commander in chief
Colonel General
Mikhail Teplinsky****
Overall commander
Colonel General
Sergei Kuzovlev
Commander
7th Guards Airborne Division
106th Guards Airborne Division
58th Combined Arms Army
Black Sea Fleet
Admiral
Viktor Sokolov
Commander
Major General
Aleksandr
Kornev
Commander
Major General
Vladimir Selivyorstov
Commander
Major General
Ivan Popov
Commander
*Reportedly removed from deputy defense minister post in April 2023; later joined the Wagner mercenary group as a top commander.
**Arrested in April 2024 on bribery charges.
***Arrested in May 2024 on bribery charges.
**** Took over command of the Dnipro Group, in Ukraine, in October 2023 from Colonel General Oleg Makarevich, who was reportedly removed for providing false reports on battlefield casualties.
Known status:
Incumbent
Dismissed/removed from command
Status unclear
Vladimir Putin
Russian President
Andrei Belousov
New Defense Minister
Sergei Shoigu
Defense Minister
(shifted to head of Security Council)
General
Valery Gerasimov
Chief of General
Staff
General
Sergei Surovikin
Former Ukraine theater commander
Timur Ivanov**
Deputy Defense Minister
Colonel General
Mikhail Mizintsev*
Top commander of Wagner Group
Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU)
Lieutenant General
Yury Kuznetsov***
Head of personnel
Lieutenant General
Vladimir Alekseyev
First Deputy Director
Airborne Forces
Navy
Southern Military District
Admiral
Nikolai Yevmenov
Commander in chief
Colonel General
Mikhail Teplinsky****
Overall commander
Colonel General
Sergei Kuzovlev
Commander
Black Sea Fleet
7th Guards Airborne Division
106th Guards Airborne Division
58th Combined Arms Army
Admiral
Viktor Sokolov
Commander
Major General
Aleksandr Kornev
Commander
Major General
Vladimir Selivyorstov
Commander
Major General
Ivan
Popov
Commander
*Reportedly removed from deputy defense minister post in April 2023; later joined the Wagner mercenary group as a top commander.
**Arrested in April 2024 on bribery charges.
***Arrested in May 2024 on bribery charges.
**** Took over command of the Dnipro Group, in Ukraine, in October 2023 from Colonel General Oleg Makarevich, who was reportedly removed for providing false reports on battlefield casualties.
Known status:
Incumbent
Dismissed/removed from command
Status unclear
Vladimir Putin
Russian President
Andrei Belousov
New Defense Minister
Sergei Shoigu
Defense Minister (shifted to head of Security Council)
General
Valery Gerasimov
Chief of General
Staff
General
Sergei Surovikin
Former Ukraine theater commander
Colonel General
Mikhail Mizintsev*
Top commander of Wagner Group
Timur Ivanov**
Deputy Defense Minister
Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU)
Lieutenant General
Yury Kuznetsov***
Head of personnel
Lieutenant
General
Vladimir Alekseyev
First Deputy Director
Navy
Airborne Forces
Southern Military District
Admiral
Nikolai Yevmenov
Commander in chief
Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky****
Overall commander
Colonel General
Sergei Kuzovlev
Commander
7th Guards Airborne Division
106th Guards Airborne Division
58th Combined Arms Army
Black Sea Fleet
Major General Aleksandr Kornev
Commander
Major
General
Vladimir Selivyorstov
Commander
Major
General
Ivan
Popov
Commander
Admiral
Viktor Sokolov
Commander
*Reportedly removed from deputy defense minister post in April 2023; later joined the Wagner mercenary group as a top commander.
**Arrested in April 2024 on bribery charges.
***Arrested in May 2024 on bribery charges.
**** Took over command of the Dnipro Group, in Ukraine, in October 2023 from Colonel General Oleg Makarevich, who was reportedly removed for providing false reports on battlefield casualties.