Valery Gerasimov

Valery Gerasimov, born on September eighth, nineteen fifty-five, in Kazan, is a prominent Russian general of the army. He has held the esteemed position of Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of Defense since November ninth, two thousand twelve. His extensive military career includes commanding three military districts and a combined arms army, showcasing his leadership and strategic acumen.

After graduating from the Kazan Higher Tank Command School in nineteen seventy-seven, Gerasimov was commissioned into the Soviet Army. He furthered his military education at the Malinovsky Military Armored Forces Academy and the Russian General Staff Academy. A combat veteran of the Second Chechen War, he served as chief of staff and later as commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army, solidifying his reputation as a capable military leader.

Gerasimov's influence within the Russian security establishment grew significantly following the annexation of Crimea in two thousand fourteen and the Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war. He is regarded as one of the most powerful figures in Russia, possessing access to the nation's nuclear arsenal alongside President Vladimir Putin and the Minister of Defense. His loyalty to Putin is well-documented, and he is credited with formulating the Gerasimov Doctrine, which has shaped modern military strategy.

In January twenty twenty-three, Gerasimov was appointed as the commander of the Joint Group of Forces in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, taking over from Sergey Surovikin. However, his actions have not gone without scrutiny; in two thousand twenty-four, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him on charges of alleged war crimes related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.