Aleksandr Dvornikov

Aleksandr Dvornikov
Aleksandr Dvornikov
	Dvornikov in 2021
Native name	Александр Владимирович Дворников
Nickname(s)	Butcher of Syria
Born	22 August 1961; Ussuriysk, Primorsky Krai, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Soviet Union; Russia;
Branch	Soviet Army; Russian Ground Forces;
Years of service	1978–present
Rank	Army general
Commands	19th Motor Rifle Division; 5th Red Banner Army; Central Military District (interim); Russian Armed Forces in Syria; Southern Military District; Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine;
Battles / wars	Second Chechen War; Syrian Civil War; Russo-Ukrainian War Russian invasion of Ukraine; ;
Awards	Hero of the Russian Federation; Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" 4th class; Order of Courage; Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR 3rd class; Order of Military Merit; Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" 2nd class;

Aleksandr Vladimirovich Dvornikov (Russian: Александр Владимирович Дворников; born 22 August 1961) is a former Russian army general who commanded the Russian military intervention in Syria and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

After joining the Soviet Army in 1978, Dvornikov rose through the ranks of the Soviet and then Russian army over a period of thirty years. In 2015, he became commander of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria during the Russian military intervention there. At that time he cemented a reputation for the harsh conduct of his military campaigns as those in Chechnya before.

In April 2022, Dvornikov was placed in charge of military operations during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, until he was replaced with Colonel general Gennady Zhidko late in May 2022. Since 2024, he is the chairman of DOSAAF of Russia.