MOSCOW - Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov has appointed Colonel General Andrey Mordvichev as Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, the Russian military newspaper Red Star reported on Thursday.

At a ceremony attended by senior military officials, Belousov introduced General Mordvichev to the Ground Forces Command staff, describing him as "an experienced combat officer who has fully demonstrated his leadership abilities during the special military operation."

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Mordvichev replaces Army General Oleg Salyukov, who was recently named deputy secretary of the Security Council of Russia.

Born in 1976, General Mordvichev graduated from the Novosibirsk Higher Military Command School and later from the General Staff Academy. His career has included key leadership positions in both the Central and Southern Military Districts. In 2023, he was appointed commander of the Central Military District.

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During the ongoing military operation, Mordvichev led Russian forces in the capture of Mariupol and later Avdiivka in Donetsk, for which he was awarded the Hero of the Russian Federation.