Oleg Leonidovich Salyukov (Russian: Олег Леонидович Салюков; born 21 May 1955) is an Army General and the current Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces. He was appointed to the post in May 2014. He was promoted to the rank of General of the Army in 2019.
Early life and career
Salyukov, born on May 21, 1955, in Saratov, hails from a military background. His father, Leonid Ivanovich Salyukov (1920-2006), served as a tank driver and attained the rank of major general during the Great Patriotic War. Oleg spent his formative years in Penza, graduating from Secondary School No. 6 in 1972.
Salyukov's military career spans various roles and regions. He served in different capacities in the Kiev Military District from 1977 to 1982 and later held positions such as deputy commander of a training tank regiment and commander of a tank regiment in the Moscow Military District. Notably, he served as commander of the 121st Motorized Rifle Division and the 81st Guards Motorized Rifle Division. His leadership extended to the Far Eastern Military District, where he served as chief of staff and commander of the 35th Combined Arms Army.
Salyukov received promotions ahead of schedule, attaining the ranks of major and colonel. On June 12, 2006, he was awarded the military rank of Colonel General. Subsequently, on December 10, 2010, he was appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Commander-in-chief
Salyukov assumed the role of Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation on May 2, 2014, following a decree by President Vladimir Putin. He has also overseen military parades on Red Square in Moscow on Victory Day from 2014 to 2024. Salyukov was honored with the military rank of Army General on February 22, 2019, becoming the 65th military leader in modern Russia to receive this distinction.
Deputy Commander of a Training Tank Regiment Commander of a Training Tank Regiment Deputy Commander of a Guards tank division in the Moscow Military District
In February 2022 Salyukov was added to the European Union sanctions list for being "responsible for actively supporting and implementing actions and policies that undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine as well as the stability or security in Ukraine".[2]
