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Hero of the Russian Federation

Mikhail Teplinsky
Hero of the Russian Federation; Mikhail Teplinsky
	Official portrait, 2022
Native name	Михаил Юрьевич Теплинский (Russian)
Birth name	Mikhail Yuryevich Teplinsky; Mykhailo Yuriiovych Teplynskyi
Born	9 January 1969 (age 56); Mospyne, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Soviet Union; Russia
Service / branch	Russian Airborne Forces
Years of service	1991–present
Rank	Colonel general
Commands	Russian Airborne Forces
Battles / wars	Transnistria War; First Chechen War; Second Chechen War; Russo-Ukrainian War War in Donbas; Russian invasion of Ukraine 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive; ; ;
Awards	Hero of the Russian Federation

Mikhail Yuryevich Teplinsky (Russian: Михаил Юрьевич Теплинский; Ukrainian: Михайло Юрійович Теплинський, romanized: Mykhailo Yuriiovych Teplynskyi; born 9 January 1969) is a Russian colonel general born in Soviet Ukraine who has served as commander of the Russian Airborne Forces since June 2022. He was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation in 1995.

Biography

Mikhail Teplinsky was born in Mospyne, in what was then the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, in the Soviet Union, on 9 January 1969. In 1987 he entered and in 1991 graduated from the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School. He served in the 106th Guards Airborne Division stationed in Tula. He commanded an airborne reconnaissance platoon and a reconnaissance company of the 137th Guards Airborne Regiment. From 1992 to 1993, he took part in the Transnistria War. From December 1994 to March 1995 he participated in the First Chechen War. He distinguished himself in battles while crossing the Sunzha River. During the period of hostilities, senior lieutenant Teplinsky had about 30 destroyed militants on his personal combat account. For courage and heroism shown during the performance of a special task, by decree of the President of Russia of 1 March 1995, Senior Lieutenant Teplinsky was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.^[4] While still in Chechnya, he received a promotion in rank and position: he became the captain and head of intelligence of the parachute regiment.^[4]

In 1999, Teplinsky graduated from the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of Russia.^[4] He took command of a paratrooper battalion that year, and went on to fight in the Second Chechen War. Transferred to the 76th Guards Airborne Division in Pskov, he was chief of staff and commander of the 234th Guards Airborne Regiment of the Black Sea. He became a Guard Colonel in 2002. In October 2002, he was appointed deputy commander of the 76th Guards Airborne Division, and since 2003 he was its chief of staff.^[4]

In 2007, Teplinsky graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia. In June 2007, he was appointed head of the 212th Guards District Training Center Vienna named after the Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General I. N. Russiyanov (Siberian Military District, Chita Oblast). Since June 2009, he was the Chief of Staff - 1st Deputy Commander of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army of the Western Military District in Mulino, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. Teplinsky was promoted to Guards Major General in 2012.^[4]

On 19 February 2013, Teplinsky became the Commanding General of the 36th Combined Arms Army of the Eastern Military District, and became a lieutenant general on 13 December 2014. In May 2015, he was appointed chief of staff of the territorial troops in the Southern Military District.^[4]

According to the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Teplinksy provided support to the armed forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republic.^[1]^[2]

On 14 March 2017, by decree of the President of Russia, Teplinsky was appointed Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of the Southern Military District.^[5] On 5 April 2019, Teplinsky was appointed Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commanding General of the Central Military District.^[4] By Decree of the President of Russia dated in December 2021, Teplinsky was promoted to Colonel General.^[5]

Russian invasion of Ukraine

In June 2022, Teplinksy was appointed commanding general of the Russian Airborne Forces.^[6] In January 2023, according to The Moscow Times, and to British Intelligence, Teplinsky was dismissed as the commanding general of the Russian Airborne Forces.^[7]^[8]

Since 13 December 2022, Teplinsky has been under British sanctions.^[9]

In April 2023 Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Teplinsky remains commander of the airborne troops, and serves as a deputy commander of the Joint Grouping of Forces (the Russian troops in Ukraine).^[10] In April 2023, the British government department believed his "turbulent career", including his return to a major role in Ukraine, was indicative of tensions arising within the Russian General Staff.^[11] Indeed, while Valery Gerasimov formally retained his title of Chief of the General Staff in Ukraine in the aftermath of the Wagner Group rebellion, his public disappearance^{[citation needed]} started rumours about Teplinsky taking over and actually running the war.^[12]

In October 2023 Teplinsky was promoted to commander of the Dnepr Battlegroup. He replaced Colonel-General Oleg Makarevich.^[13]

On 12 March 2024 the AFU claimed to have liquidated Teplinsky in an airstrike on the oil tanker Mechanic Pogodin.^[13]

On 30 June 2024, reports in the press abounded that he was severely wounded by a Ukrainian missile strike in Henichesk.^[14] However, on 2 August 2024, a video of Teplinsky congratulating his troops on Paratroopers' Day and speaking about recent events on the front was published.^[15]

Family

Teplinsky is married, with two sons and a daughter.

References

^ ^a ^b "Війною в Донбасі керують заступник начальника Генштабу РФ і начштабу територіальних військ ЮВО - розвідка" (in Ukrainian). Дзеркало тижня. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Вищий командний склад збройних сил Росії, особисто відповідальний за ведення бойових дій на території України, генерал-лейтенант ТЕПЛИНСЬКИЙ Михайло Юрійович - Головне управління розвідки МО України" (in Ukrainian). Main Directorate of Intelligence (Ukraine). Archived from the original on 24 July 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
^ "Institute for the Study of War".
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Bocharov, Anton. "Теплинский Михаил Юрьевич" (in Russian). Heroes of the Country [ru]. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 08.12.2021г. №694 "О присвоении воинских званий высших офицеров, специальных званий высшего начальствующего состава и высших специальных званий"". Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
^ "Институт изучения войны: командующего российскими ВДВ уволили из-за потерь в Украине". Meduza (in Russian). 18 June 2022.
^ "https://twitter.com/defencehq/status/1617785717383364612?s=43&t=iifufx0OYc37I4fV1nYZDg". Twitter. Retrieved 7 May 2023. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
^ "Top Russian General Dismissed After Vuhledar Defeat". The Moscow Times. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
^ "New UK sanctions target senior Russian commanders following strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure". GOV.UK. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
^ "Замкомандующего объединенной группировкой в зоне СВО Теплинский остается командующим ВДВ". Interfax.ru (in Russian). 18 April 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
^ "Russia Reinstates Key Commander Amid 'Intense Tensions' Over Ukraine: U.K." Newsweek. 16 April 2023.
^ "As dust settles after Wagner mutiny, Russia's military leaders face tough questions". CNN. 28 June 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Ukraine 'liquidates' Putin's hand-picked military commander in airstrike". 12 March 2024.
^ "Media: Russian General Teplinsky Wounded". charter97.org. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
^ "Командующий ВДВ генерал-полковник Михаил Теплинский поздравил ветеранов и военнослужащих Воздушно-десантных войск с 94-й годовщиной образования войск" [Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky, Commander of the Airborne Troops, congratulated veterans and servicemen of the Airborne Troops on the 94th anniversary of the formation of the troops]. mil.ru. 2 August 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.

Military offices
Preceded by Andrey Serdyukov	Commander of the Russian Airborne Forces 2022–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Yevgeny Ustinov	Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of the Central Military District 2019–2022	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Alexander Zhuravlyov	Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of the Southern Military District 2017–2019	Succeeded by Sergey Kuzovlev