Andrei Averianov

Lieutenant General Andrey Vladimirovich Averyanov (; born 29 September 1967) is a Russian military officer who has been the deputy director of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (known by its former acronym GRU) since 2022. He is believed to be the commander of the Africa Corps since it was created in 2023. Averyanov previously commanded GRU Unit 29155, and was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation in 2015.

Early life and education Andrey Vladimirovich Averyanov was born on 29 September 1967 in Ashgabat, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union. He lived at a military base and attended the Russian school there. Averyanov later graduated from the Tashkent Higher All-Arms Command School in 1988.

Military career He is believed to be a decorated veteran of the Soviet-Afghan War, peacekeeping operations during the Bosnian War, and both of the Chechen Wars, for which he was awarded the Order of Courage three times. Averyanov holds the title Hero of the Russian Federation since January 2015, possibly for his involvement in the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea. He recruited GRU and spetsnaz officers for the unit, which eventually grew have about 70 members. The unit is believed by Western intelligence to be responsible for coordinating Russian sabotage operations in Europe.

In 2022 Averyanov became the deputy director of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (known by its former acronym GRU). He visited Israel on 8 February 2022, and visited Iran in June 2022, October 2022, February 2023, and July 2023. Some of the latter visits coincided with Iran beginning to provide weaponry to Russia for use in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Africa Corps He made his first public appearance at the July 2023 Russia–Africa Summit in Moscow. After that he joined members of the Russian Ministry of Defense on a tour of several African countries, as it took over the Wagner Group's operations in the region. The tour, lasting from August to September 2023, saw Averyanov and deputy defense minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov visit Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, and Niger. The Africa Corps was established under the supervision of Yevkurov to take over from the Wagner Group in late 2023,

As of November 2025, he held the rank of lieutenant general. That month he led a Russian delegation in talks with the president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. In early December 2025, Radio France Internationale claimed that Averyanov was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian "shadow fleet" tanker off the coast of Libya. However, the government of Madagascar announced later that month that he is visiting the country, and RFI eventually withdrew its claim after more evidence emerged that he is alive.