Andrei Kolesnikov

Andrei Borisovich Kolesnikov (; born 6 February 1977) is a Russian major-general who commanded the 29th Combined Arms Army at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He was later the deputy commander of the Russian Armed Forces Operational Group in Syria as of 2023.

Biography Born in Oktyabrskoye, Voronezh Oblast, on 6 February 1977, Kolesnikov graduated from a tank college in Kazan (1999), the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (2008), and the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia (2020). In 2010, Kolesnikov was a lieutenant colonel and serving as chief of staff of the 4th Guards Tank Division. commander of the 29th Combined Arms Army of the Eastern Military District in the Zabaykalsky Krai.

Invasion of Ukraine Kolesnikov took part in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to Ukrainian officials, he was killed in Mariupol on 11 March 2022. NATO officials confirmed that a Russian commander from Russia's eastern military district became the second Russian general officer to be killed in the hostilities (after Andrei Sukhovetsky), but did not specify his name. However, the Ukrainian claim had not been verified by Western media and Russian sources had not confirmed his death. On 14 March 2023, Kolesnikov appeared in an interview with Vladimir Soloviev on Russian television, reportedly during Soloviev's trip to Syria.

Syria As of March 2023 Kolesnikov was deputy commander of Russian forces in Syria.