Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree on May 15 relieving General Oleg Salyukov, the aging commander of the Russian Ground Forces. He has been replaced by a younger officer with extensive combat experience in Ukraine. This decision could help the Russian army as it develops and implements post-war reforms based on lessons learned in Ukraine.
Salyukov had led the Ground Forces since 2014. In addition to that role, he served as a deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine since January 2023. His removal was unsurprising, given that he will turn 70 years old on May 21.
The general received a sinecure as deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, serving under Sergei Shoigu, who was appointed secretary almost exactly one year ago after being replaced as defense minister. Like Shoigu, Salyukov was given one last hurrah at Moscow’s May 9 Victory Day parade, which the general had commanded since 2014.
Salyukov’s replacement is Colonel-General Andrey Mordvichev, 49. Mordvichev began the war as the commander of Russia’s 8th Combined Arms Army, reportedly leading the assault on Mariupol. The general was wounded by a mine in April 2022 but recovered and later briefly served as deputy commander of Russia’s Southern Military District and associated “South” Group of Forces in Ukraine.
In late 2022 to early 2023, Mordvichev assumed command of Russia’s Central Military District and “Center” Group of Forces. He is rumored to have been backed by the then-commander of Russia’s Aerospace Forces, General Sergei Surovikin, who, at the time, also served as Moscow’s overall commander in Ukraine. (Surovikin, seen as one of the Russian military’s more competent leaders, was demoted to deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine in January 2023. He was later ousted entirely following the June 2023 Wagner mutiny.)
Mordvichev’s Center group, currently fighting around the city of Pokrovsk, has accounted for most of Russia’s (relatively minor) territorial gains over the last 1.5 years. Despite their staggering cost in men and materiel, these advances have seen Mordvichev’s star rise. He received the Hero of Russia award following the February 2024 capture of Avdiivka.
To replace Mordvichev as Center commander, Moscow reportedly tapped Colonel-General Valery Solodchuk, 54. Solodchuk began the war as commander of the 36th Combined Arms Army, one of the formations involved in the failed attack on Kyiv. He later served as a deputy commander of the Center group under Mordvichev. Most recently, Solodchuk commanded Russian forces in Kursk Oblast, boosting his status after they expelled Ukrainian troops from the region earlier this spring.
Russian military correspondents and bloggers have generally praised the appointment of Mordvichev as Ground Forces commander, arguing he can drive needed reforms. The general is reputed to be comparatively frank in acknowledging problems, and he possesses a better understanding of modern warfare and new technologies than the older Salyukov.
Some observers, however, see an effort by General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff and overall commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, to neutralize a potential rival. Mordvichev was viewed as a candidate to replace Gerasimov, who will turn 70 in September and has proven to be an incompetent and toxic leader.
On the other hand, other Russian observers have speculated that Mordvichev’s new role could end up being a stepping stone on the way to succeeding Gerasimov. While the Kremlin has so far kept Gerasimov in place despite Shoigu’s removal, the general’s days are likely numbered. The choice of his replacement will bear great consequences for future Russian military reforms.
