Gen Aleksandr Dvornikov, 60, has been described as an “old school” general and a "blood and soil nationalist”, trained in Soviet military doctrines that view obliterating civilian targets as a means of gaining battlefield momentum.
A career military officer, he has risen steadily through the ranks since starting as a platoon commander in 1982. He fought during the second war in Chechnya and took several top positions before being placed in charge of the Russian troops in Syria.
Dvornikov was dispatched by Putin in September 2015 on an urgent mission to stabilise the position of the Syrian regime forces, who Tehran and Moscow believed were on the brink of falling to the opposition.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 11, 2022-Ausgabe von The Guardian.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 11, 2022-Ausgabe von The Guardian.
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