Russian military officer
Vitaly Petrovich Gerasimov (Russian : Виталий Петрович Герасимов ; born 9 July 1977[ 1] ) is a Russian Ground Forces major general (one-star rank ), the chief of staff and first deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army .
On 7 March 2022, Ukraine's Ministry of Defence announced that Gerasimov was killed in Kharkiv Oblast during the Russian invasion of Ukraine ,[ 2] [ 3] but Gerasimov was confirmed to be alive by BBC Russian when he was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky on 23 May 2022.[ 4] [ 5]
Early life and education [ edit ]
Vitaly Petrovich Gerasimov was born on 9 July 1977 in Kazan .[ 6] Gerasimov graduated from the Kazan Higher Tank Command School in 1999 and from the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in 2007.[ 1] [ 7]
Gerasimov fought in the Second Chechen War (1999–2000). From 2007 to 2010, he commanded a motor-rifle battalion in the North Caucasus Military District . In October 2013, as a colonel , he was assigned as commander of the 15th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade (Peacekeeping).[ 6]
He was awarded campaign medals for participating in the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, and the Russian military operation in Syria (from 2015).[ 2] [ 8] In June 2016, he was promoted to the rank of major-general .[ 9]
Gerasimov was claimed by Ukrainian authorities to have been killed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 7 March 2022 near Kharkiv , along with several other senior Russian officials.[ 2] [ 10] [ 11] The Ukrainian defence ministry offered no proof, and US officials and CNN were not able to verify the claim.[ 12] The Netherlands-based open-source intelligence (OSINT) fact-checking group Bellingcat said it had confirmed the death by accessing a Ukrainian intercept of Russian communications, as well as by means of "a Russian source".[ 11] [ 13] The Guardian newspaper reported on 8 March that the Ukrainian defence department "broadcast what it claimed was a conversation between two Russian FSB officers discussing the death and complaining that their secure communications were no longer functioning inside Ukraine".[ 8] Gerasimov was later seen alive when he was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky on 23 May.[ 14] [ 15]
^ a b Назначения в Вооруженных Силах России [Appointments in the Armed Forces of Russia] (PDF) . Российское военное обозрение [Russian Military Review] (in Russian). 9 (185). Russian Ministry of Defence : 78. September 2019. ISSN 0134-921X . OCLC 913825191 . Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2022 .
^ a b c Massie, Graeme (7 March 2022). "Ukraine claims it has killed another Russian general during fighting in Kharkiv" . The Independent . Retrieved 7 March 2022 .
^ Під Харковом ліквідовано генерал-майора російської армії [A major general of the Russian army was liquidated near Kharkiv]. Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (in Ukrainian and English). Government of Ukraine . 7 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022 .
^ Smirnova, Yuliana (23 May 2022). Воскрес "убитый" генерал ВС РФ Герасимов . Pravda.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 6 June 2022 .
^ Груз 200: что известно о потерях России в Украине к середине июня . BBC News Russian . 10 June 2022.
^ a b Полковник Виталий Герасимов назначен командиром самарских миротворцев [Colonel Vitaly Gerasimov appointed commander of Samara peacekeepers]. Новости Волги (Volga News) (in Russian). 21 October 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2022 .
^ Komaxidze, Irakli (19 November 2017). "Commanders of 15th MRB ready to carry out Kremlin's criminal orders" . InformNapalm.org . Retrieved 8 March 2022 .
^ a b Borger, Julian (8 March 2022). "Vitaly Gerasimov: second Russian general killed, Ukraine defence ministry claims" . The Guardian . Retrieved 8 March 2022 .
^ Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 11 June 2016 г. № 276 [Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of June 11, 2016 No. 276]. President of Russia (in Russian). Retrieved 11 March 2022 .
^ "Ukraine: Russian general killed near Kharkiv, say defenders" . BBC News . 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022 .
^ a b Bowman, Verity (8 March 2022). "Second Russian general killed on the battlefield as 'demoralised' troops suffer heavy losses" . The Telegraph . ISSN 0307-1235 . Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022 .
^ Picheta, Rob; Guy, Jack (9 March 2022). "Ukraine claims Russian general has been killed in Kharkiv" . CNN . Retrieved 9 March 2022 .
^ Martin, Alexander (8 March 2022). "Russians reportedly take out own secure communications system during Kharkiv assault" . Sky News . Retrieved 8 March 2022 .
^ Smirnova, Yuliana (23 May 2022). Воскрес "убитый" генерал ВС РФ Герасимов . Pravda.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 6 June 2022 .
^ Груз 200: что известно о потерях России в Украине к середине июня . BBC News Russian . 10 June 2022.
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