Alexander Matovnikov

Aleksandr Anatolyevich Matovnikov (; born 19 September 1965) is a Russian politician and lieutenant general who is currently the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation since 22 January 2020. He was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation in 2017. Matovnikov was previously the fourth Presidential Envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District, serving from 2018 to 2020.

In his military career, he was the Deputy Commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Main (Intelligence) Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces from 2013 to 2015, and Commander of the MTR and Deputy Head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces 2015 to 2018.

Matovnikov was also a member of the Russian Security Council from 2018 to 2020.

Biography Aleksandr Matovnikov was born on 19 September 1965 in Moscow. After the 1991 Soviet coup attempt, in the context of a possible assault on the Lubyanka Building, Matovnikov destroyed secret management documents, for which he was subsequently forced to retire by the new leadership.

In 1982, he entered the Higher Border Military-Political School of the KGB, and after graduation in 1986 he began to serve in the Alpha Group.

As part of a motorized group operating under the cover of operational units of the border troops, Matovnikov took part in the Soviet–Afghan War, where he solved specific tasks in the interests of the KGB, including intercepting a caravan with weapons and drugs in the border area with Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.

In 1987, Matovnikov took part in the protection of the General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, who came on a state visit to Washington DC. He was one of the leaders of the responses to the Budyonnovsk hospital, He further was part of an investigation into the circumstances of the Beslan school siege. In Chechen circles he had the nickname "Chekist". He was also at the command posts he took part in the Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war.

On 22 February 2018, Matovnikov he was promoted to Lieutenant General. This decision was supported by the leadership of the North Caucasus Federal District, including the heads of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, Karachay-Cherkessia, Rashid Temrezov, Ingushetia, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, North Ossetia Vyacheslav Bitarov, and Governor of Stavropol Krai, Vladimir Vladimorov. On 28 June 2018, in Pyatigorsk, Belaventsev introduced Matovnikov to the heads of the subjects, representatives of the clergy, law enforcement agencies, and the staff of the embassy. .

On 3 July 2018, Matovnikov was included in the Russian Security Council.

From 2018 to 2019, Matovnikov took part in resolving the situation with the territorial dispute between Chechnya and Ingushetia and the protests that arose in this regard.

In 2019, together with the director of the Russian National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, he submitted documents on the criminal activities of a member of the Federation Council Rauf Arashukov for Putin's consideration, after which he was arrested.

On 22 January 2020, Putin appointed former Prosecutor General Yury Chaika to the post of plenipotentiary in the North Caucasus Federal District, on the same day Matovnikov was transferred to the post of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces of the Russia to replace Colonel General Aleksander Lentsov. On 3 February, he was removed from the Security Council.

Personal life Until recently, data on Matovnikov's personal life was not freely available. He is currently married to Svetlana since 2005. They have children containing a daughter, Aleksandra (born in 2006), and a son, Aleksey (born in 2009). Since 1999, for work, he was assigned to the family of Kadyrov's father, Akhmat, and lived in his house.

He is a member of the Association of Veterans of Alpha Anti-Terror Unit, conducts active military-patriotic work.