Col. Gen.l Andrey Mordvichev, a Russian commander notorious as the leader of brutal assaults in Ukraine, has been appointed head of Moscow’s ground forces, its Defense Ministry confirmed on Thursday, May 22.
His promotion comes just a week after President Vladimir Putin dismissed General Oleg Salyukov, who had recently reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. He will draw a pension but in future serve as an advisor on Russia’s National Security Council, Russian news reports said.
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Defense Minister Andrei Belousov praised Mordvichev as an “experienced combat officer” who proved himself during the ongoing war in Ukraine, which Moscow still officially calls a “special military operation (SVO).”
Although state-run media reported Mordvichev’s promotion last week, this is the first official confirmation from the Russian government.
Mordvichev, 49, is among the youngest to have reached his current rank. He previously had command of the Central Military District, and the 8th Guards Combined Arms Army.
His rise began after 2022, when he led key Russian operations in Ukraine, most notably the siege of Mariupol and the capture of Avdiivka – both battles that left the cities in ruins and caused major loss of life among both their residents and defenders.
A Reputation for Ruthless Tactics
Though promoted on the back of his battlefield exploits, Mordvichev is controversial, even within Russia’s pro-military circles. He is widely associated with so-called “meat assaults” – mass attacks using poorly equipped and trained soldiers trying to overwhelm fortified Ukrainian positions.
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Military analyst Yan Matveyev has called him one of the main architects of this high-casualty approach.
Russian military bloggers have echoed those criticisms. Andrey Morozov, a pro-Kremlin blogger who died by suicide in early 2024, blamed Mordvichev’s tactics for staggering troop losses during the battle for Avdiivka.
Estimates of Russian casualties suffered during that operation range from 16,000 to over 47,000, according to both Ukrainian and independent sources.
Ukrainian prosecutors have charged Mordvichev with war crimes, including waging a war of aggression, targeting civilian infrastructure, and directing the assault on the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol – where Ukrainian fighters and civilians were besieged for weeks.
Putin’s New Generation of Commanders
Mordvichev’s appointment is seen as part of a broader reshuffle by Putin, who Western and Russian analysts say is replacing older military leaders with more aggressive, battlefield-focused officers.
“The appointment of Mordvichev, one of the most effective and soberly assessing commanders of military groups in the SVO zone, to the post of commander-in-chief of the Ground Forces instead of Salyukov the old commander of the formation is a sign that a new, appropriate trend will come to the Ground Forces, and they will be brought up to modern standards,” Russian pro-war Telegram channel “Two Majors” wrote.
Some observers view his appointment as a signal that Russia is preparing for a new phase of the war, possibly a summer offensive, and is turning to commanders who favor brute force over caution.
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