1. Gennady Valeryevich Zhidko was a colonel general of the Russian Armed Forces.
16 Facts About Gennady Zhidko
1. 2.
Gennady Zhidko was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation in 2017 for his service as chief of staff of Russian forces deployed to Syria.
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In late May 2022, it was reported that Gennady Zhidko had been put in charge of Russian forces during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, replacing Army General Aleksandr Dvornikov.
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Gennady Zhidko was born on 12 September 1965, in the village of Yangiobod in the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic.
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Gennady Zhidko received awards for organizing fire training from the commander of the Ural Military District, Colonel-General Alexander Baranov.
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In 1997, Gennady Zhidko graduated from the Malinovsky Military Armored Forces Academy.
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Gennady Zhidko served as commander of the 92nd Motor Rifle Regiment of the 201st Motor Rifle Division in Dushanbe, Tajikistan by 2001.
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Gennady Zhidko oversaw the beginning of the transition of the division from conscripts to contract servicemen.
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Gennady Zhidko participated in the formation of this unit, for his organizational skills he was noted by the commander of the 6th Army, Major General Yevgeny Ustinov, with the Commander of the Western Military District, Colonel-General Arkady Bakhin.
10.
In November 2018, Gennady Zhidko was appointed commander of the Eastern Military District, replacing Alexander Zhuravlyov, who had transferred to the post of commander of the Western Military District, on 13 November, he was presented to the leadership at the district headquarters in Khabarovsk.
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On 11 June 2020, Gennady Zhidko was promoted to colonel general.
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On 12 November 2021, Gennady Zhidko was appointed head of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, a position included among the deputy ministers of defence.
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Gennady Zhidko replaced Andrey Kartapolov, who had retired from the army.
14.
On 26 May 2022, the Conflict Intelligence Team, citing Russian soldiers, reported that Gennady Zhidko had been put in charge of Russian forces during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, replacing Army General Aleksandr Dvornikov.
15.
On 22 June 2022, The Guardian reported that during a visit to Ukraine by Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, "footage appeared to confirm that the colonel general Gennady Zhidko is commanding troops in Ukraine".
16.
Gennady Zhidko died in Moscow on 16 August 2023, at the age of 57.