Vladimir Putin: Who is Alexander Dvornikov, the general in charge of Ukraine's invasion?

Up until recently, the Russian army had no commander in charge to lead the Ukraine invasion. After the numerous setbacks the Russian troops have faced, the Kremlin has appointed Alexander Dvornikov as the commander. He is known as the ‘butcher of Syria’.

Alexander Dvornikov, the ‘Butcher of Syria’

The Kremlin has named the 60-year-old general as the commander in charge of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Alexander Dvornikov was named the ‘butcher of Syria’ after Russia defended the Syrian president in fighting the rebels in the Syrian civil war.

In 2015, Dvornikov was the first commander of the Russian army when it first involved itself in the Syrian civil war, a year later he was awarded the title ‘Hero of the Russian Federation’.

While he was the first commander, an estimate of 10,000 bombings flattened towns and cities across Syria. The attacks were mainly focused on Homs and Aleppo and destroyed basic infrastructures like hospitals and water sources. Hence the name ‘butcher of Syria’.

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Alexander Dvornikov in the Ukraine invasion

In 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin promoted Dvornikov to general and is now in charge of military operations for the invasion of Ukraine. Sir Roderic Lyne, former British ambassador to Russia, told Sky News that Russia has appointed Dvornikov ‘to try to gain at least some territory in Donetsk’.

Harry Kazianis, a US military analyst at the Center for National Interest, told the Telegraph:

My fear is that Dvornikov has orders that if he cannot take eastern Ukraine he will turn him into a giant Aleppo.

An anonymous military from Moscow said:

Dvornikov is known as a ruthless commander and will deploy tactics used in Syria now in Ukraine. He was in Chechnya 20 years ago.

Adding:

It is about liberating cities by reducing them to rubble.

There are reports that Dvornikov is behind the bombing of the Kramatorsk railway station which happened earlier this week. The bombing killed at least 52 people, including 5 children. Russia has denied responsibility for this attack.