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Sergei Surovikin Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 14, 2026 • 4 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth11 October 1966

Age56 Years (as of 2022)

BirthplaceNovosibirsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union

ProfessionArmy Personnel

NationalityRussian

Marital statusMarried

FamilyTwo daughters

Sergei Surovikin Biography

Sergei Vladimirovich Surovikin is a Russian army officer who rose through Soviet and Russian military ranks to serve as a senior commander in multiple key:

Early life and background

Sergei Vladimirovich Surovikin was born on 11 October 1966 in Novosibirsk, then part of the Russian SFSR in the Soviet Union. He trained at the Omsk Higher Military Command School and began his military career after graduating in 1987.

Career

Surovikin’s service stretches from the late Soviet period into the present, with a steady progression through command and staff appointments. Commissioned in 1987 as a junior lieutenant, he served with Spetsnaz units in Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan War until 1991. Early in the 1990s he commanded elements of the 2nd Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Division and later attended a course at the M. V. Frunze Military Academy in 1995.

Following his time at Frunze, Surovikin held a sequence of chief-of-staff and command roles. He served as chief-of-staff of the 92nd Motor Rifle Regiment and the 149th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment, and later commanded the 201st Division in Tajikistan. He attended a staff college course at the Military Academy of the General Staff in 2002, after which he commanded the 34th Simferopol Motorized Rifle Division and served as senior commander of the 42nd Guards Motor Rifle Division during the mid-2000s.

In 2005 Surovikin became deputy commander and later commander of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army, a formation engaged in operations in the Northern Caucasus. His progression into higher operational leadership continued with appointments as chief of the Main Operational Directorate in 2008 and as Deputy Chief of the General Staff. He served as chief of staff for the Volga-Urals Military District and for the Central Military District, and later was chief of staff of the Eastern Military District.

Surovikin moved into senior strategic roles in the 2010s. He took part in organizing the Russian military police while posted at the Central Military District and in 2013 became commander of the Air Defense Forces. Later that year he was appointed commander of the Eastern Military District and was promoted to the rank of colonel general in December 2013.

In March 2017 Surovikin was sent to Syria to take command of the Russian contingent operating there. He is noted in the record for commanding Russian forces in Syria and for later serving as a senior commander of Russian forces in Ukraine; in October 2022 he was appointed commander of Russian forces in Ukraine.

Over his service career Surovikin has held a number of major commands, including leadership of the 2nd Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Division, the 201st Division, the 34th Simferopol Motorized Rifle Division, the 42nd Guards Motor Rifle Division, the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army, the Eastern Military District, the Russian Air Defense Forces, and Russian force groupings in Syria and Ukraine. His service years are listed as beginning in 1987 and continuing to the present, with his rank given as a four-star general.

Public profile

Surovikin has received multiple Russian military awards over the course of his career. Decorations listed in his record include the Order of the Red Star, the Order of Military Merit, the Order of Courage (three times), and the title Hero of the Russian Federation awarded in 2017.

His career has also been the subject of controversy and allegations reported in public sources. Incidents referenced in the record include accusations dating from 1991 related to civilian deaths during a coup-era operation in Moscow, an episode in 1995 involving an investigation while he attended the Frunze academy that closed without conclusive evidence, and later allegations and reports by human-rights organizations and international bodies concerning conduct by Russian forces in Syria and in Ukraine. The documented record notes inquiries and reported findings, and in some instances internal investigations that did not find conclusive evidence of his personal criminal responsibility.

Personal life

Surovikin is listed as married and the father of two daughters. His listed religion is Christianity. Physical details in his profile include a height of approximately 175 cm (about 5 ft 9 in), dark brown eyes, and a bald appearance. His nationality is Russian and his hometown is given as Novosibirsk. His zodiac sign is Libra.

Latest updates

As of October 2022, Sergei Surovikin was publicly reported as taking command of Russian armed forces in Ukraine. He remains a prominent senior military figure with a long record of command and staff appointments spanning regional district leadership, air-defense command, and expeditionary operations in Syria.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Sergei Surovikin, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Commander of Russian forces in Ukraine

Appointed commander of Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine in October 2022.

2022
Commander of Russian contingent in Syria

Took command of Russian forces operating in Syria in March 2017.

2017
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Career Highlights

  1. Served in Afghanistan with Spetsnaz during the Soviet-Afghan War (1987–1991)
  2. Commanded multiple Russian divisions and the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army
  3. Served as Chief of the Main Operational Directorate and Deputy Chief of the General Staff
  4. Commander of Russian Air Defense Forces and Eastern Military District; promoted to colonel general in December 2013
  5. Awarded Hero of the Russian Federation in 2017
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Sergei Surovikin born?

Sergei Surovikin was born on 11 October 1966.

What is Sergei Surovikin known for?

Sergei Surovikin is known for army Personnel.

What is Sergei Surovikin’s marital status?

Sergei Surovikin's marital status is listed as Married.