Oleg Salyukov

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. In 1977, Salyukov graduated with distinction from the Ulyanovsk Guards Higher Tank Command School. He furthered his education at the Malinovsky Military Armored Forces Academy, graduating with honors in 1985. Later, in 1996, he completed his studies at the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. 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, and commanded the Far Eastern Military District from 2008 to 2010. Subsequently, on December 10, 2010, he was appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. He served in this capacity until 2014. == 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. Salukov has also overseen military parades on Red Square in Moscow on Victory Day from 2014 to 2025. 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. On 1 October 2014, he announced that Ground Forces Day, commemorating the founding of the Russian army by Ivan IV in 1550, would be celebrated from then with a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial of Georgy Zhukov and a meeting of veterans, including the previous commanders-in-chief. He was sanctioned by the UK government in 2022 in relation to the Russo-Ukrainian War. 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". In January 2023 Salyukov was designated one of the three deputy commanders of the joint military operation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, along with Alexei Kim and Sergey Surovikin. The Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, was made the commander. On May 15, 2025, Vladimir Putin dismissed Salyukov as Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces, and announced Andrey Mordvichev as his successor. This took place several days before Salyukov's 70th birthday, at which point he is required by law to retire from active service. Salyukov was then appointed as Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council. The Council has several deputy secretaries. ==Assignments==

He is married and has a son. ==Notes==