Vyacheslav Damdintsurunov

Vyacheslav Anatolyevich Damdintsurunov (; born September 21, 1977) is a Russian political figure, professional sportsman, and a deputy of the 8th State Duma.

Damdintsurunov is a professional sportsman; in 1999, he became the Russian champion in Muay Thai. Damdintsurunov had been working for more than 13 years on developing and implementing sports policies in the region. Damdintsurunov is also a former vice-rector of the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism. In 2017, he was appointed the Minister of Sports and Youth Policy of Buryatia. He resigned in 2021 after he was elected a deputy from the Buryatia constituency of the State Duma of the 8th convocation.

Vyacheslav Damdintsurunov is married and has three children.

Sanctions

On February 25, 2022, in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he was included in the European Union sanctions list in response to Russia’s decision to recognize the territories of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions and to send Russian troops there.

On March 11, 2022, he was added to the United Kingdom sanctions list “for recognizing the independence of two separatist regions in Ukraine.”

On September 30, 2022, he was placed under sanctions by the United States in response to the “sham referenda” and the “annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russian occupying forces.” The U.S. Department of State noted that deputies had unanimously passed the law on “fake news,” and some deputies played a key role in spreading Russian disinformation about the war.

He is also subject to sanctions by Switzerland, Australia, Japan, Ukraine, and New Zealand.

Awards

In 2017, Vyacheslav Damdintsurunov was awarded the honorary sports title Honored Coach of the Russian Federation. Recipient of two medals: the Commemorative Medal “XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games, Sochi 2014” and the “80 Years of Sambo” Medal of the All-Russian Sambo Federation (2018).

Family Since 2001 he has been married to Natalya Damdintsurunova. The couple has three children: a daughter, Altana, and two sons, Dorzhi and Aldar.