Andrey Serdyukov

Andrey Nikolaevich Serdyukov (Андрей Николаевич Сердюков; born 4 March 1962) is a Russian Armed Forces colonel general and commander of the Russian Airborne Troops.

Serdyukov served in the Soviet Airborne Forces as a junior officer and rose to battalion command. He graduated from the Frunze Military Academy and became a deputy regimental commander in the Russian Airborne Troops and then a regimental commander. Serdyukov fought in the First Chechen War and served as a deputy brigade commander in Kosovo, participating in the Incident at Pristina airport. Between 2002 and 2003 he led the 138th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade and in 2004 took command of the 106th Guards Airborne Division.

After graduating from the Military Academy of the General Staff in 2009, Serdyukov became deputy commander of the 5th Red Banner Army, taking command of the army in 2011. In 2013, he became deputy commander and then chief of staff of the Southern Military District. While in this position, Serdyukov led troops in the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and commanded Russian troops in the Donbass. He became commander of the Russian Airborne Troops in October 2016.

Early life and Soviet military career
According to Russian official sources, Serdyukov was born on 4 March 1962 in Uglegorsky, Tatsinsky District, Rostov Oblast. Other sources state he was born in Amvrosiivka. In 1983, he graduated from the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School. He became commander of a reconnaissance platoon of the regimental reconnaissance company in the 104th Guards Airborne Division. Serdyukov became deputy company commander, company commander, chief of staff, deputy battalion commander, and then a battalion commander.

Career in the Russian Armed Forces
In 1993, Serdyukov graduated from the Frunze Military Academy. He became deputy commander of a regiment in the 76th Guards Airborne Division. Serdyukov fought in the First Chechen War. In 1995 he took command of the 237th Guards Airborne Regiment in the division. Between 1997 and 1998 he was chief of staff, deputy commander, and commander of the 104th Guards Airborne Regiment in the division. He was later deputy commander of the division. Serdyukov was a deputy brigade commander of Russian units in Kosovo. In Kosovo, he participated in the Incident at Pristina airport, a standoff between the Russian troops and NATO peacekeeping forces.

On 10 March 2002, Serdyukov became acting commander of the 138th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade in the Leningrad Military District. He was confirmed in the post on 11 July 2002, and commanded the brigade until 9 June 2003. From June 2004 to 2007, Serdyukov was commander of the 106th Guards Airborne Division. After his 2009 graduation from the Military Academy of the General Staff, Serdyukov became deputy commander of the 5th Red Banner Army. He took command of the army in January 2011. In February 2013, Serdyukov became deputy commander of the Southern Military District. On 4 October 2013, Serdyukov became chief of staff and first deputy commander of the Southern Military District.

Serdyukov led Russian forces in the spring 2014 Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. Using the code name "Sedov", Serdyukov commanded the grouping of Russian troops in the Donbass in August 2015. On 4 October 2016, Serdyukov was appointed commander of the Russian Airborne Troops, replacing Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov. He was presented the Airborne flag on 10 October by defense minister Sergey Shoygu.

On 15 September, Serdyukov was seriously injured during an accident on the R21 highway in Murmansk Oblast while supervising Airborne exercises in which a Chevrolet Lanos smashed into his minivan, rolling it over. The crash was reported in the Russian media four days later, with Serdyukov reported to be in "satisfactory condition" with a serious craniocerebral trauma and fracture of the back; he was taken to the intensive care unit of the 1469th Naval Military Hospital of the Northern Fleet. Airborne Troops deputy commander Major General Vladimir Kochetkov also suffered fractures, while the driver of the passenger car was killed. Serdyukov recovered by 15 November, when he chaired a meeting of the Military Council of the Airborne Troops.

Awards
Serdyukov has received the following awards.
 * Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" 3rd class and 4th class (with Swords)
 * Order of Alexander Nevsky
 * Order of Courage
 * Order of Honour
 * Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR 3rd class
 * Order of Military Merit
 * Honoured Military Specialist of the Russian Federation