Alexander Zhuravlyov

Alexander Zhuravlyov Александр Журавлёв
Born	(1965-12-05) December 5, 1965 Golyshmanovo, Tyumen Oblast, Russia
Allegiance	Soviet Union 1982–1991  Russia 1991–present
Service/branch	Soviet Army  Russian Ground Forces
Years of service	1982–present
Rank	Colonel General
Commands held	Group of Forces in Syria Eastern Military District
Battles/wars	Russian military intervention in Syria

Colonel General Alexander Alexandrovich Zhuravlyov (Russian: Александр Александрович Журавлёв; born 1965) is a Russian Ground Forces officer who has commanded the military force in Syria during the Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War and currently serves as the commander of the Eastern Military District. After returning from Syria, he became the Deputy Chief of the General Staff before being appointed to his current position in November 2017. He was also awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation in 2016 by a directive of the President.

Biography

He was born in the town of Golyshmanovo, in the Tyumen Oblast, in 1965. In 1982, Zhuralvyov finished secondary schooled and joined the Soviet Army. He graduated from the Chelyabinsk Higher Tank Command School in 1986 and the Marshal of the Soviet Union Malinovsky Armored Forces Academy in 1996. Finally, in 2008 Zhuravlyov graduated from the General Staff Academy. During his service, he was stationed in Czechoslovakia (1986–1991), the Volga (1991–1994), Far Eastern (1994–2006), North Caucasus (2008–2008), Central (2010–2015), and Southern Military Districts (since 2015). He has served as the chief of staff of the 58th Army and as commander of the 2nd Guards Tank Army before being transferred to the Southern Military District in 2015. Promoted to lieutenant general in 2014.^[1]

In July 2016, Lieutenant General Alexander Zhuravlyov was appointed as the commander of the Russian military forces in Syria, replacing Colonel General Alexander Dvornikov.^[2] He held this post until December 2016, when he was replaced by Colonel General Andrei Kartapolov.^[3] For his service in Syria he was given the title of Hero of Russia.^[1]

Since leaving Syria, Zhuravlyov was promoted to colonel general and appointed Deputy Chief of General Staff. He met with the Vice Chief of Defense Staff of the United Kingdom, General Sir Gordon Messenger, in February 2017 to discuss renewed military cooperation in order to prevent any incidents.^[4][5] On 22 November 2017, Zhuravlyov was appointed commander of the Eastern Military District, replacing Colonel General Sergey Surovikin, who transferred to command the Russian Aerospace Forces.^[6]

Since January 2018, he again heads the contingent of Russian military forces stationed in Syria, having taken over from Gen Sergey Surovikin.^[7]

References