Who is Alexander Dvornikov, the Russian general known as “the butcher of Syria” who was appointed by Putin to devastate eastern Ukraine

Meet  Alexander Dvornikov, the Russian general known as “the butcher of Syria” appointed by the Putin govt to devastate eastern Ukraine.

After suffering major losses in its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has named a new commander for another round of invasion.

The Russian general, Alexander Dvornikov, 60, is a Russian military officer with extensive experience and a reputation for violence against civilians in Syria and other battle zones, according to US authorities. Some even go so far as to nickname him “the Butcher of Syria.”

The selection of Dvornikov as the first link in the chain of command to lead the attack on Ukraine by the Kremlin should improve coordination, but it also underscores the fact that Russia did not have a single man in control of the invasion.

According to CNN, each unit from separate military districts was acting without coordination and, at times, with cross objectives, according to officials from the US Department of Defense.

With this strategic shift, not only will there be more cohesiveness, but also more violence.

Dvornikov, who was born in 1961 and joined the Soviet Union’s army, led Russian troops in Syria between 2015 and 2016, during the operation against jihadism as well as rebel forces opposing Bashar al Assad’s administration.

Russian jets targeted highly inhabited regions with a significant civilian population, particularly in Aleppo, during that operation.

His contribution to the struggle earned him the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. Russian President Vladimir Putin raised him to the rank of general in 2020.

There were about 10,000 airstrikes in the months when Dvornikov commanded the Russian assault, primarily in Aleppo, Homs, and other smaller towns. After destroying fundamental infrastructures like hospitals and water supply, he was able to weaken the will of citizens with this.

Former British ambassador to Russia Sir Roderic Lyne told Sky News that Dvornikov has a “quite crazy record in Syria trying to capture at least some area in Donetsk” that may be regarded as a success for the Kremlin.

“The attempt to strengthen him is a worrying warning that Putin has no intention of giving up on Ukraine anytime soon, but may really try to take most, if not all, of it from eastern Ukraine,” Harry Kazianis, a US military expert at the Center for the National Interest, said.

In an interview with the Telegraph, he described the general as an astute strategist who will not cut corners when it comes to siege warfare techniques.

: ” My worry is that Dvornikov has orders to turn eastern Ukraine like a huge Aleppo if he can’t seize it.”

“Dvornikov is a merciless leader who will apply the same techniques he did in Syria in Ukraine. He spent 20 years in Chechnya.

“It’s about freeing cities by putting them to rubble,” a Moscow-based military specialist, who did not want to be identified, told the Telegraph.