Russia. Andrei Mordvichev became the commander of the Southern Military District

47-year-old Andrei Mordvichev in the past was, among others, the commander of a mechanized brigade and the head of the garrison in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Before an armed invasion Russia to Ukraine, he commanded the 8th Army (as part of the Southern Military District). After the start of the war, he was appointed commander of Russian troops fighting Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region, including Mariupol, one of the most important cities in the region. According to reports from the Ukrainian services, Mordvichev issued an order to storm the metallurgical plant Azovstal.

Coverage tvn24.pl: RUSSIA’S ATTACK ON UKRAINE

In March last year, the Ukrainian side reported that Mordvichev had died during the fighting for Chornobaivka. This is a village near Kherson in the south Ukrainewhere during the occupation the Russians seized the airport and transferred military equipment there. Chornobayivka was repeatedly attacked by Ukrainian forces, Russian soldiers, in recordings intercepted by the Security Service of Ukraine, called it “purgatory”.

The then adviser to the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Oleksiy Arestovych, said that “Ukrainian forces attacked the airport in Chornobayivka and destroyed the command post of the Russian army.” – According to preliminary data, the commander of this army died. Perhaps not only him, but also several other generals. This information is being clarified,’ said Aretovych, referring to the death of General Mordvichev.

After reports from the Ukrainian side about the probable death of Mordvichev, at the end of March last year, a recording was shown on the Russian government TV channel First Channel showing the Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov and Andrei Mordvichev shaking hands. It was supposed to come from Mariupol, where sub-units subordinate to the Chechen leader fought with the Ukrainian forces.

Kadyrov called the general “the best commander” at the time, and the well-known Russian political scientist Sergei Markov wrote on the Telegram channel that “Mordvichev and Kadyrov are friends.”

At the end of September last year, the Security Service of Ukraine reported that Mordvichev had been charged (in absentia) with a number of charges, including violations of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the conduct of aggressive military operations against Ukrainians.

Until October last year, the Central Military District was commanded by General Aleksandr Lapin, who in January became the new chief of staff of the land forces.

Lapin was dismissed from the post of commander of the Central Military District after a wave of criticism for the defeats of the Russian army on the Ukrainian front, including the loss of control over the city of Lyman in the Luhansk region.

The Central Military District, now commanded by Mordvichev, was temporarily commanded by General Aleksandr Linkov.

Kadyrov allegedly called Lapin “a loser protected by the leadership of the general staff” who commands his troops far from the front lines.