Mordvichev, 48, replaces General Oleg Salyukov, who was moved on Thursday to the post of deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council. The reshuffle comes amid a broader shake-up of Russia’s military leadership during the war in Ukraine.
A native of Kazakhstan’s Pavlodar region, Mordvichev received the Hero of Russia medal last year after leading the siege that ended with Ukrainian troops surrendering at Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant in May 2022.
He has since overseen Russian advances in the eastern Donetsk region, including the capture of the fortified town of Avdiivka in February 2024 and, more recently, the towns of Selydove, Kurakhove and Ukrainsk.
Before taking command of the Central Military District in 2023, Mordvichev served in Syria and other conflict zones. Military bloggers credited him with aggressive tactics that earned him his battlefield moniker.
Salyukov, 69, had led the Ground Forces since 2014 and oversaw operations in Syria and the early phases of the Ukraine campaign. As deputy head of the Security Council, he will serve under former defense minister Sergei Shoigu, who was shifted to the body last year.
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Source: Reuters, The Kyiv Independent