A new commander of the Central Military District - the largest in Russia - a 53-year-old lieutenant general, took office in Yekaterinburg tank troops Alexander Lapin. The general was promoted after he successfully completed his duties in the Middle East, where he served as chief of staff of the Russian Armed Forces in the Syrian Arab Republic.
The standard of the commander of the troops of the district was presented to Lapin the day before by the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Dmitry Bulgakov. "Decree of the President Russian Federation On November 22, Lieutenant General Alexander Pavlovich Lapin was appointed to the military post of commander of the Central Military District,” he announced.
The appointment of Lapin completed the rotation of district chiefs: now all four military formations are headed by military personnel with experience of the war in Syria.
The former commander of the Central Military District, 59-year-old Colonel General Vladimir Zarudnitsky, stood out from this row: his business trip to Syria lasted three days, after which the President of this country, Bashar al-Assad, asked the Russian leadership to return Colonel General Sergei Surovikin to the headquarters, whom Zarudnitsky flew in to replace.
You can learn about who General Lapin is from his frank story about himself.
Born on January 1, 1964 in Kazan. After school, he entered the Institute of Chemical Technology, in 1982 he was drafted into the army and served in a remote garrison in the Kazakh steppe. According to Lapin, there was very strong hazing in the unit. The old-timers beat him and the rest of the young every day and more than once. “They beat me, and I thought: I will become an officer and I will put all my life so that there is no non-regulation in the army. This thought helped me. When for the first time in 8 months I wrote a report that I want to enter military school, the old-timers beat me, they said: you will not be an officer. And I became. He served 22 months and entered the Kazan Tank School. Why exactly there? After the film “Officers” was released, the tankers, one might say, were in vogue,” Alexander Lapin recalled in an interview.
After the military school, Lapin went from lieutenant to general. He served as the commander of a tank platoon, company, battalion. He held various positions in the Leningrad Military District and in the Northern Fleet. After graduating from the Military Academy of Armored Forces, he was sent to the 58th Combined Arms Army of the North Caucasus Military District, where he served as commander of a separate tank battalion. Since 1999 - chief of staff, then commander of a separate 429th motorized rifle regiment 19th motorized rifle division in Mozdok. In the early 2000s, he served as chief of staff of the 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division in Volgograd. In 2003-06 he commanded the 205th separate motorized rifle brigade in Budyonnovsk, Stavropol Territory, in 2006-07 - by the 20th Guards Motorized Rifle Division.
After graduating from the Academy General Staff served as deputy commander of the 58th Army. In 2012, he became commander of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army of the Western Military District. In 2014, he was appointed to the post of Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of the Eastern Military District, Colonel General Sergei Surovikin. It must be said that Lapin and Surovikin crossed their official paths more than once. Both served in the North Caucasus and took part in Chechen wars. Both served in the 20th Army, where in different years Surovikin was the deputy commander, and Lapin commanded her. Later they served together in the Eastern District and in Syria. Moreover, Lapin became known for regularly flying to the front lines in Syria.
General Lapin has no illusions about the future and believes that Russia needs to prepare for war:“War is inevitable. She was, is and will be. This is a disaster, the cross of our civilization.”
He considers the main quality of a true officer to be the readiness to die at any moment in the interests of the Motherland. He considers it a model of selflessness battle of Borodino, in which 40 Russian and 49 French generals were killed.
Lapin was appointed to command the key, largest military district in Russia. It is located on an area of 7.06 million square meters. km - more than 40% of the country's territory, and includes 29 subjects of the federation. The Central Military District also includes the 201st Russian military base in Tajikistan, the Kant airbase in Kyrgyzstan, military units and facilities on the territory of Kazakhstan. The district is armed with all types of weapons existing in the country. On the territory of the Central Military District there are long-range aviation bases, however, directly subordinated to Moscow. On the territory of the Central Military District there are two central bases of the tank reserve - in Verkhnyaya Pyshma in the Sverdlovsk Region and Kozulka in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The exact numbers of storage units for tanks and other armored vehicles are classified. But, according to experts, no less equipment is deployed there than is currently in service with the army. Having such power under his control, Lapin's task is to maintain the troops in a state of combat readiness, especially against the background of the current aggravation of international relations.
“There are only two states in the army: either it is fighting, or it is preparing for war,” said military expert, retired colonel Viktor Litovkin. - It must be admitted that Syria has given the country a unique experience of warfare in the most difficult conditions. Not only generals, but also our pilots and sailors went through this military conflict. In fact, we tested modern Russian technology, and it showed itself very well. That is why today people with experience in real combat operations are worth their weight in gold. We are well aware that we live in a very turbulent time: in addition to Syria, the conflict with Ukraine has not been resolved, and the aggravation of relations with the West continues. Russia must be ready for any challenges and threats. I guess that those military leaders who refused to go to Syria have their further careers suspended».
“Today, all the commanders of the military districts have really gone through the war in Syria. I think that this is precisely the professional wisdom of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu - not only ordinary military personnel, but also their leaders were directly involved in this conflict. In fact, the generals were plunged into the conditions of modern warfare, - explains the military observer, reserve colonel Alexander Zhilin. - They saw with their own eyes, and not in theory, what it is. That's why the current commanders are by no means armchair bosses, not theorists. Today they are betting on them. Our military showed themselves very worthy there - in particular, we saw the brilliant work of the General Staff headed by Valery Gerasimov. In fact, we have tested in Syria everything that is necessary in the event that Ukraine goes on about the West and arranges an anti-Russian military provocation.”
https://ura.news/articles/1036273085
Military Internet voenternet.ru presents: Major General Alexander Pavlovich Lapin,
Commander of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army
It is not easy to deal with a sincere interlocutor. The main truths of life are so simple that only truly strong man.
Arguments about God, love, duty to the Fatherland, gratitude to the mother and the need for humility in our time sound so out of date and even old-fashioned that even seasoned intellectuals try to avoid them. But when Major General, commander of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army, the largest formation of ground forces, which includes, for example, the Tamanskaya and Kantemirovskaya divisions, does this, you don’t even understand, but you feel that a certain a violent force that is pointless to fight, that can never be defeated.
Alexander Pavlovich Lapin was born on January 1, 1964 in Kazan. Graduated from the Kazan Higher Tank command school, Military Academy of Armored Forces, Military Academy of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces. He began his service in 1982 as a conscript gunner, then held various command and staff positions in the Leningrad Military District, the Northern Fleet and the North Caucasus Military District. After the Academy of Armored Forces, he commanded a tank battalion, a motorized rifle regiment, a motorized rifle brigade, and a motorized rifle division in the North Caucasus Military District. After graduating from the General Staff Academy, he served as deputy commander of the 58th Army (Vladikavkaz). By Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of April 2, 2012, he was appointed commander of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army. Read what General Alexander Lapin says about the very simple things that make our life so unforgivably complicated.
About life
My life does not belong to me. And I myself do not belong to myself - ever since I went to serve the Motherland, the Fatherland, the people. For some, this may be high words. But for me, it is something essential, in which you need to be clearly aware of. I remember my life from early childhood. Born into a working-class family in a barracks on the outskirts of Kazan. They lived very poorly. Even in distant relatives there was no one with higher education. I lost my father early and, accordingly, before many thought that I should take everything into my own hands, work, study ... But, as far as I can remember, I always raved about war, adventures. When they played Cossack robbers with the boys in the yard, I tried to lead. And even then I began to understand that there are forces and circumstances in the world that are greater than me, above my own interests. At first, however, I took a step aside - I passed the exams at the Institute of Chemical Technology, but quickly realized: not mine. And he went into the army for military service. I ended up in Kazakhstan, in the very wilderness, 200 kilometers from the nearest town. The hazing in the unit was terrible. For the first six months, they beat me severely, several times a day. But I am convinced that it was the Lord God who taught me humility. They beat me, and I thought: I will become an officer and I will lay down my whole life so that there is no non-regulation in the army. This thought helped me. When for the first time eight months later I wrote a report that I wanted to enter a military school, the old-timers beat me, they said: you won’t be an officer. And I became. He served 22 months and entered the Kazan Tank School. Why exactly there? After the film "Officers" was released, tankers, one might say, were in vogue. I reviewed the picture many times and remembered three main phrases for me: “There is such a profession - to defend the Motherland”, “Discipline is the first law of military service” and “The commander must think, not wave his saber.” These three postulates became the starting points for my whole life.
About mother
When I think about my mother, the first thing I worry about is how much I can give her - with my support, word, deeds. For me, love for my mother is, first of all, taking care of her. I guess I'm keeping her in this life. I tell her: you must live. Now she has a task plan: to wait for my grandson or granddaughter. And the thought that she is in demand helps her not feel her age so sharply.
Love is the daily work of caring for a person. Love is first and foremost work.
About wives
Officers' wives are a special caste. The main feature of an officer's wife is the ability to wait for her husband. There are times when you have to wait weeks, months, six months. The service separates the husband from his wife, and the wife from acquaintances, from her usual life. All the time fees, moving. Where? For what? How will life be there in the new place? An ordinary woman will not cope with this if she does not learn humility in the face of hardships. If she does not understand: her husband belongs to the state. The family for an officer is second. And Motherland is the first. To dedicate oneself to such a husband means to dedicate oneself to the Fatherland. Say, "There aren't many women like that." Right. But there are few of us.
About tanks
They say the time for tanks is running out, grandiose tank battles no longer. But I'm convinced that for many more decades the tank will remain the main striking force of the ground forces. When military technology reaches new frontiers, the tank will, of course, change. It will be different. Perhaps a multifunctional combat robotic system invisible to the enemy, capable of moving over vast distances, with new capabilities, tasks and functions. But its main advantages - firepower, mobility, security - will still remain unchanged. They say that humanity is approaching the sixth generation of wars. We, tankers, believe: there will be tanks in any generation.
Here, the pilots believe that they can master the tank, but the tankers never do the plane. Once I commanded a regiment in Mozdok, an acquaintance, a squadron commander, came to me: “Palych! Tank! All my life I dreamed. Roll!". I put him in a tank, he says: “Dear mother, how do you manage it? Yes, you have to study here for three years! I say four. He got used to it a little, rolled and came out indescribably pleased. What does it say? Pilots love tanks so much and rejoice in them, just as I do not rejoice in airplanes.
But seriously, I'll tell you this: if the tank is adjusted, brought to normal combat, it is like a sniper rifle. Only with a powerful fire system. Today, while checking one of the tank crews, I tore my trouser leg. And I don’t think it’s shameful for the army commander to climb into a tank that has become dusty at the training ground and take a seat in the fighting compartment. Because a tank deserves more respect than a general's torn trousers.
About war
War is inevitable. She was, is and will be. This is a disaster, the cross of our civilization. But when you think about life and death, about creation and destruction, you find a relationship in all of this. This is what war is. It cleanses from the accumulated evil, allows you to destroy the old and build a new one. But you will be able to know its meaning, its power and significance only when you understand that the sacrifices made to it are not in vain.
The main lesson that the war taught me personally is this: take care of the people for whom you are responsible. And how to save? First of all, teach them to perform a combat mission skillfully and competently. Didn't save? So he didn't teach. And behind each fighter is not a medallion with a name, not a line in the report, but a whole life, his relatives, his future, unborn children. The loss of each subordinate is a tragedy for me.
About the feat
Sometimes they say: the feat of a soldier is the result of a commander's mistake. Strongly disagree! A feat is a reflection of the hero's inner content. Only those who are spiritually rich are capable of a feat. And who prepares for it all his life. Recently, in fire training classes, a grenade fell into the mitten of a camouflage suit for a reconnaissance soldier. His commander, senior lieutenant Kiryanov, had a second to make a decision, and two more to implement it: at the fourth second, the grenade explodes. Can you imagine? One second to decide, two to execute. And this time was enough for him to grab a grenade and throw it over the parapet. He rushed to the soldier without hesitation: he was inwardly ready for this feat. This is a great officer! We presented him to the Order of Courage, but I think he deserves more.
Such actions are necessary for our spiritual, moral "I". In order to take an example from them, not to squint, not to harden.
About defeats
For me, to win means to force the enemy to do our will. And loss, defeat is, first of all, a lesson that allows you to rethink what happened and move forward in order to come to victory. The world is created in such a way that there is no stopping, it does not exist in nature. You are alive when you take a step forward every day on the path God has set.
About purpose
If life is lived aimlessly, it is a disaster. Every day before going to bed I ask myself: what did you do today to add kindness to this world? The scale of this kindness can vary. For example, today you got the guardsmen of the 20th Army to show the command that they can carry out the assigned combat missions. Or you, passing through a checkpoint, saw that the traffic controller was sweating because of the heat, and gave him cold water to drink. Or just stroked the cat, brought a piece of bread to the dog. Can you tell yourself that this was your step forward? So there is hope.
About meaning
IN last years more and more often I began to ask myself questions, to analyze: why did everything happen to me like this? For what? I remember a film from my childhood about a boy who accomplishes a feat - saving the banner. When I watched it, I clearly understood: I want to live the life of this boy, I want to die saving the banner. It turns out that the meaning of my life was to get a huge experience and, without hesitation, give it to the world. That is, I have to prepare for the main exam, which is called death. But I believe death is only the beginning. I look around me and see so much beautiful, infinite, alive, and I believe that God could not create so much beauty for a one-time and finite life. Everything in the world is harmoniously connected and all this is infinite perfection.
About the mat
Every word has energy. A kind word - good energy, an evil word - vice versa. I try to eradicate the mat in myself, although I am sinful. But, firstly, I don’t send very far, and if it happens, gently. And then I stop myself: “I apologize, of course, that it escaped.” If an executive officer, responsible, performs all assigned tasks unquestioningly, accurately and on time, I will treat him with the deepest respect. But sometimes you feel: the task reaches a specific officer slowly. You start to get nervous, you try to convince, but again he does not react! Well, then it happens and you can’t resist, of course.
About positions
Any position is the most difficult. When I was a company commander, I thought: well, nothing can be harder. Then he received a regiment - dear mother! Just a few hours of relaxation! Then he commanded a brigade of constant combat readiness. He lived only at the training grounds and thought that this was the edge, there is nothing more difficult. Now I am an army commander and I remember the times when I was a division commander - I could at least raise my head sometimes ...
The higher the management hierarchy, the more difficult. In my subordination today is the largest association of the Ground Forces of Russia, including the famous Taman and Kantemirovskaya divisions. This is about 25 thousand military personnel. I am personally responsible for their readiness to successfully complete any combat mission at any time of the day or night, in any situation. If you are the responsible person, you involuntarily worry about the assigned area of work. Sometimes you come home, you fall without legs and feelings. But when failures happen, when things don't add up, you can't sleep. You understand: get up soon, you need to somehow replenish your energy, but you can’t fall asleep. Then I ask my wife to drip Corvalol - it helps.
About officers
It seems to me that in the Russian army the spirit of the officers was higher than that of many of us. "Soul - to God, life - to the Fatherland, honor - to no one." Officers were brought up on these principles, became generals and led troops to death in the name of victory. They performed miracles of courage. Remember: 50 generals died on the Borodino field! This is courage, this is valor.
About authority
Article 43 of the charter of the internal service reads: "The order must be executed unquestioningly, accurately and on time." The serviceman who received the order answers "Yes!" and executes it. All. If an officer doubts even for a microsecond the validity of this principle, he should take off his shoulder straps. But a charter is a law that people follow. For this to happen, for the military collective subordinate to you to complete the task, the commander needs something more than a charter: authority. Winning it is hellish daily work, and losing it is nothing easier. Any commander, including myself, cannot afford a single action that will hit his authority. It's not easy to live like this, of course. But everyone has a choice. I chose this service myself and do not regret it.
About the general's career
To become a general, a graduate of a military school must, firstly, fully devote himself to the service. Secondly, to be able to refuse the many temptations that surround us. Understand that this is not the main thing. In our today's material world, money, I believe, is an absolute evil. Thirst for profit, the pursuit of profit do not bring - they deprive of happiness. Third: move towards excellence every day. It is in the pursuit of excellence and the acquisition of experience that the key to moving up the career ladder. All the difficulties that fall on the shoulders of an officer are like tests in a computer game: there are also obstacles and barriers. If you were able to pass them, albeit stumbling, but found the strength to rise and go, you reach a new level. Approximately the same is true in our officer service. The only difference is that, unlike a computer game, you only have one life.
About the army
An army for a boy is an opportunity to temper his will, shape his character and gain invaluable experience that you won’t get anywhere else. This is an opportunity to learn how to overcome any difficulties that may be encountered on life path. To withstand any blows of fate. A person, having served in the army, will learn not only to protect his people, his land, but also his family. And this is one of the callings of every man - to be able to protect his home and his loved ones.
About happiness
Everyone talks about this subject in their own way. For me, happiness is certainly not the general's stars on shoulder straps. This is an opportunity to be useful to the country and people. This is the meaning of my life. Deprive me of this meaning, I will be lost. I remember how one night I checked the outpost on the dominating height near Buynaksk. There were shortcomings. He built all the soldiers in two lines, and asked the officers to move away. I ask: "Which of you is ready to die, doing your duty?". Silence. 5, 10, 20 seconds. A storm rises in my soul: is it really no one ?! And suddenly a soldier takes a step forward from the first line, I didn’t even see his face in the darkness. And behind him the whole system steps forward. For this, I think it's worth living.
Recorded by Mikhail Kozhukhov, Sergey Mostovshchikov
Photo by Dmitry Belyakov
Lieutenant General Alexander Lapin head of the group's headquarters Russian troops in Syria, assumed the post of commander of the troops of the Central Military District (TsVO), replacing Colonel General Vladimir Zarudnitsky, said yesterday the official representative of the Central Military District Yaroslav Roshchupkin.
The solemn ceremony of handing over by Vladimir Zarudnitsky the personal standard of the commander of the Central Military District to his replacement Alexander Lapin took place in Yekaterinburg on November 27. Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation General of the Army arrived in the capital of the Urals to participate in the ceremony Dmitry Bulgakov .
Dossier "OG"
Lapin Alexander Pavlovich was born in 1964 in the city of Kazan. military service started as an ordinary soldier, later graduated from the Kazan Higher Tank Command School, the Armored Academy and the Academy of the General Staff armed forces Russian Federation. He served in various positions in the Leningrad, North Caucasian and Eastern military districts, as well as in the Northern Fleet.
He commanded a tank battalion, regiment, motorized rifle brigade, motorized rifle division. He served as Deputy Commander of the 58th Army (Vladikavkaz), Chief of Staff of the Eastern Military District, headed the Military Training science Center.
Until recently, Alexander Lapin served as chief of staff of the grouping of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria.
By Decree of the President of Russia dated November 22, 2017, he was appointed commander of the troops of the Central Military District.
Zarudnitsky Vladimir Borisovich was born in 1958 in the city of Abinsk, Krasnodar Territory. Graduated from the Ordzhonikidze Higher Combined Arms Command School, Combined Arms military academy named after M.V. Frunze, Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Started officer service in the Group Soviet troops in Germany as a platoon commander, then as a company commander, head of intelligence of the regiment. Later he commanded a regiment in the Far Eastern Military District, served as chief of staff of a division in the Volga-Urals Military District, commander of a combined arms army in the Siberian Military District. Since June 2014 - in the position of commander of the troops of the Central Military District.
Photo: information policy department
November 22, 2017 President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed the Decree on the appointment of Colonel-General Zarudnitsky V.B. Head of the Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Introducing the new leader of the largest military association of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to the commanders of formations and units, officers of the headquarters and administration of the Central Military District, Dmitry Bulgakov noted that Alexander Lapin is a major military leader and a skilled organizer who has great experience troop leadership and practical application interspecies connections.
- Heading the headquarters of the Eastern Military District, the Military Training Scientific Center of the Ground Forces, Alexander Pavlovich showed his best qualities head, - said the Deputy Minister of Defense, opening the ceremony of presenting the personal standard to the commander of the Central Military District. - High moral and professional qualities allowed him to successfully command two operational groups in separate directions, and then to fulfill the duties of chief of staff of the group of troops in the Syrian Arab Republic.
The predecessor of Lieutenant General Alexander Lapin as commander of the Central Military District, Colonel General Vladimir Zarudnitsky, was appointed head of the Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. He commanded the district troops for more than three years, during which the level of combat training of the Central Military District steadily increased. Suffice it to say that in March 2017, after another sudden check of the combat readiness of units, the Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu said that the combat power of the Central Military District has grown by almost a quarter over the past three years. In addition, over the years, for the first time, direct working relations of the Central Military District were established through international military cooperation with the states Central Asia: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. At the ceremony of handing over the standard, Vladimir Zarudnitsky wished his successor to preserve and increase the traditions existing in the district.
How this manifested itself concretely, on the example of the Central Military District, our correspondent was told by the commander of its troops, Lieutenant General Alexander Lapin.
Alexander Pavlovich, Central Military District - the largest district in the country. What are the main tasks facing his troops in ensuring the security of Russia?
I will say more: the Central Military District is the largest military-administrative unit not only in Russia, but also in the world. The troops of the district are deployed within the administrative boundaries of 29 constituent entities of the Russian Federation of three federal districts, which is almost 50% of the country's area. Therefore, the level of responsibility entrusted to us is quite high. Today, like a century and a half ago, when Russian Empire the first military districts appeared, our military formations are preparing for the armed defense of the integrity and inviolability of the country's territory within the established boundaries of responsibility.
The main efforts of the district command are focused on maintaining a constant high combat readiness of the troops and their readiness for guaranteed performance of tasks in any situation. We also focus on re-equipping with modern and modernized models of military and special equipment. And of course - the arrangement of infrastructure facilities, the construction of modern military camps with the creation of comfortable living conditions for servicemen of all categories.
In connection with the growing terrorist threat in the Central Asian region in recent years, the military-political leadership of Russia has taken the necessary measures to ensure security. And the key role in the fight against international terrorism, due to its territorial location, is assigned to the Central Military District.
- How do you assess the state of combat readiness of the troops entrusted to you?
The troops of the district are in constant combat readiness, regularly build up and improve their potential and are able to perform tasks with guarantee in any conditions.
I can assure you and your readers of this: the Central Military District will reliably ensure the military security of both Russia and its allies in the Central Asian strategic direction. A lot of work has been done in this direction.
Only due to the organizational and staffing measures carried out last year, it was possible to significantly increase the combat potential of the troops. By the end of this year, we will have formed and reorganized one more formation, two military units and six subdivisions.
- How much does the experience gained by the military personnel of the district in Syria help in the course of combat training of troops?
The experience of real combat operations is the best that can be in the preparation of a military man. He is in fact invaluable, and his role, of course, affects common process combat training of troops. The skills and abilities acquired by military personnel in the course of the anti-terrorist operation in Syria are systematized into special teaching aids. The main efforts in combat, operational and tactical training are focused on preparing military units for non-standard forms and methods of conducting combat operations. Special attention is given to joint, interspecific training of troops.
During the exercises, new practical tasks. In particular, the creation of mobile groups to combat jihad mobiles, the use of units in the reconnaissance and fire contour system, the fight against UAVs and quadrocopters, raiding activities along the flanks, the use of mine barriers, and many others.
- How are things going with your soldiers and officers with a moral component?
Without it, a military man is unthinkable. I am sure, when President Vladimir Putin, in his address to the Federal Assembly, said that such self-sacrifice, which our people are capable of in the name of the task in hand or for the sake of someone's salvation, is incapable of any other country in the world, many military personnel of the district experienced a feeling pride. Because the head of state, in this way characterizing the Russian officer corps as a whole, had in mind our officers as well.
This is a native Altai Territory Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Peshkov, pilot of the Su-24 shot down over Syrian territory. This is Senior Lieutenant Alexander Prokhorenko from the Orenburg region, who took an unequal battle near Palmyra. His last words: "I call fire upon myself" have become a symbol of selflessness not only in our country, but throughout the world. Both officers were presented to the title of Hero of Russia posthumously.
Many servicemen of the district were awarded for exemplary performance of military duty in Syria state awards. And this means that our servicemen have not only someone to learn from, but also someone to be truly proud of.
In the open press, you can find information that by the end of 2018, new types of weapons will enter service with units and formations of the Central Military District. How do you assess the course of rearmament of the district troops?
Last year alone, the district troops received over 1,000 new and modernized weapons. Two formations have been fully re-equipped with the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system, which has no analogues at present. The new generation Su-34 aircraft, modernized Su-25SM and Mi-8AMTSh Terminator helicopters have been delivered to the Aerospace Forces and Air Defense. The personnel of the air defense formations are successfully mastering latest systems S-400 Triumph and Pantsir-S1. Deeply modernized T-72B3 tanks are supplied to tank formations. Motorized rifle formations were re-equipped with BTR-82A. Special purpose formations now work on armored vehicles"Tiger", "Hussar" and "Typhoon-K". The companies of unmanned aerial aircraft entered service with modern Forpost and Orlan-10 vehicles, which were actively used in Syria.
In accordance with the State Armament Program for the period from 2011 to 2020, the equipment of parts of the district with new and modernized models military equipment should be at least 70%. We will do everything in our power to ensure that the personnel have mastered this equipment and weapons in the shortest possible time.
You have repeatedly spoken about the shift of the zone of armed conflicts from the Middle East to the Central Asian region. Where do you think this threat is most likely?
An analysis of the development of the military-political situation in the Central Asian region shows that greatest danger our country today represents a consistent strengthening of the positions of the "Islamic State" (ISIS, an organization banned in the Russian Federation) in Afghanistan. This is facilitated by the influx from the Middle East of supporters of radical extremist organizations operating on the territory of the countries of Central Asia. Upon returning to their homes, they are capable of creating so-called "sleeping combat cells" and subsequently launching terrorist activities.
According to our estimates, about 10,000 ISIS terrorists are already concentrated in Afghanistan. About half of them have accumulated in the northern provinces, where their goal is to create an "Islamic Caliphate" on the territory of the Central Asian republics. Emissaries of radicals are recruiting among the local population, training camps have been set up in Afghanistan to train new fighters.
Unfortunately, the presence on Afghan territory of a foreign military contingent led by the United States does not help reduce the terrorist threat. Rather, on the contrary, by fighting the Afghan radical movements - opponents of ISIS, the Americans and their allies contribute to the spread of international terrorism.
- How big is the danger of a new outbreak of violence? Are IS fighters so scary?
I know it from personal experience, acquired in the Syrian Arab Republic, that the IS gangs cannot be underestimated. They are well armed, they consist of zombified, ideological, well-trained militants, ready to go to death for the sake of their goal. In terms of the level of coherence, the gangs of these radicals are approaching the special forces units of the regular armed forces.
We are closely monitoring the situation on the southern borders of our country. We are carrying out a set of priority measures with the strengthening of all types of intelligence and the consistent build-up of combat potential, which are adequate to the growing threats. At the same time, on an ongoing basis, we carry out required list preventive measures in the interests of strategic deterrence.
Almost all Central Asian countries are members of the CSTO. How does the command of the Central Military District interact with the countries - participants of the organization along the military line?
The preparation of our military command and control bodies for solving problems in the Central Asian strategic direction is carried out in close cooperation with the CSTO member countries. This year, a number of important joint operational and combat training events have already been held with the armed forces of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, including on their territory.
For the first time, which cannot but rejoice, the military leadership of the Republic of Uzbekistan also showed interest in such cooperation.
We continue to prepare for the joint command and staff exercise "Peace Mission-2018". It will take place in August at the Chebarkul training ground. Taking into account the emerging terrorist threat in the Central Asian region, we will continue to strengthen our military cooperation with the CSTO member countries.
The material was prepared with the assistance of the press service of the Central Military District.
A new commander of the Central Military District, the largest in Russia, took office in Yekaterinburg, a 53-year-old lieutenant general of tank troops. Alexander Lapin. The general was promoted after he successfully completed his duties in the Middle East, where he served as chief of staff of the Russian Armed Forces in the Syrian Arab Republic.
The standard of the commander of the troops of the district was presented to Lapin the day before by the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Dmitry Bulgakov. “By a decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated November 22, Lieutenant General Alexander Pavlovich Lapin was appointed to the military post of commander of the troops of the Central Military District,” he announced.
The appointment of Lapin completed the rotation of district chiefs: now all four military formations are headed by military personnel with experience of the war in Syria.
Former commander of the Central Military District, 59-year-old Colonel General Vladimir Zarudnitskyout of this range: his business trip to Syria lasted three days, after which the President of this country, Bashar al-Assad, asked the Russian leadership to return Colonel General Sergei Surovikin, whom Zarudnitsky had flown in to replace, to the headquarters.
You can learn about who General Lapin is from his frank story about himself.
Born on January 1, 1964 in Kazan. After school, he entered the Institute of Chemical Technology, in 1982 he was drafted into the army and served in a remote garrison in the Kazakh steppe. According to Lapin, there was very strong hazing in the unit. The old-timers beat him and the rest of the young every day and more than once.“They beat me, and I thought: I will become an officer and I will put all my life so that there is no non-regulation in the army.This thought helped me. When for the first time after 8 months I wrote a report that I wanted to enter a military school, the old-timers beat me, they said: you won’t be an officer. And I became. He served 22 months and entered the Kazan Tank School. Why exactly there? After the film “Officers” was released, the tankers, one might say, were in vogue,” Alexander Lapin recalled in an interview.
After the military school, Lapin went from lieutenant to general. He served as the commander of a tank platoon, company, battalion. He held various positions in the Leningrad Military District and in the Northern Fleet. After graduating from the Military Academy of Armored Forces, he was sent to the 58th Combined Arms Army of the North Caucasus Military District, where he served as commander of a separate tank battalion.Since 1999 - chief of staff, then commander of a separate 429th motorized rifle regiment of the 19th motorized rifle division in Mozdok. In the early 2000s, he served as chief of staff of the 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division in Volgograd. In 2003-06, he commanded the 205th separate motorized rifle brigade in Budyonnovsk, Stavropol Territory, in 2006-07 - the 20th Guards Motorized Rifle Division.
After graduating from the General Staff Academy, he served as deputy commander of the 58th Army. In 2012, he became commander of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army of the Western Military District. In 2014, he was appointed to the post of Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of the Eastern Military District, Colonel General Sergei Surovikin.It must be said that Lapin and Surovikin crossed their official paths more than once. Both served in the North Caucasus and took part in the Chechen wars. Both served in the 20th Army, where in different years Surovikin was deputy commander, and Lapin commanded it. Later they served together in the Eastern District and in Syria. Moreover, Lapin became known for regularly flying to the front lines in Syria.
General Lapin has no illusions about the future and believes that Russia needs to prepare for war: “War is inevitable. She was, is and will be. This is a disaster, the cross of our civilization.”
He considers the main quality of a true officer to be the readiness to die at any moment in the interests of the Motherland. He considers the battle of Borodino to be a model of selflessness, in which 40 Russian and 49 French generals were killed.
Lapin was appointed to command the key, largest military district in Russia. It is located on an area of 7.06 million square meters. km - more than 40% of the country's territory, and includes 29 subjects of the federation. The Central Military District also includes the 201st Russian military base in Tajikistan, the Kant air base in Kyrgyzstan, military units and facilities in Kazakhstan.The district is armed with all types of weapons existing in the country. On the territory of the Central Military District there are long-range aviation bases, however, directly subordinated to Moscow. On the territory of the Central Military District there are two central bases of the tank reserve - in Verkhnyaya Pyshma in the Sverdlovsk Region and Kozulka in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The exact numbers of storage units for tanks and other armored vehicles are classified. But, according to experts, no less equipment is deployed there than is currently in service with the army. Having such power under his control, Lapin's task is to maintain the troops in a state of combat readiness, especially against the background of the current aggravation of international relations.
“There are only two states in the army: either it is fighting, or it is preparing for war,” said military expert, retired colonel Viktor Litovkin. - It must be admitted that Syria has given the country a unique experience of warfare in the most difficult conditions. Not only generals, but also our pilots and sailors went through this military conflict. In fact, we tested modern Russian technology, and it showed itself very well. That is why today people with experience in real combat operations are worth their weight in gold. We are well aware that we live in a very turbulent time: in addition to Syria, the conflict with Ukraine has not been resolved, and the aggravation of relations with the West continues. Russia must be ready for any challenges and threats. I guess that those military leaders who refused to go to Syria have their further careers suspended».
“Today, all the commanders of the military districts have really gone through the war in Syria. I think that this is precisely the professional wisdom of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu - not only ordinary military personnel, but also their leaders, were directly involved in this conflict. In fact, the generals were immersed in the conditions of modern warfare,” explains a military observer, reserve colonel Alexander Zhilin. - They saw with their own eyes, and not in theory, what it is.That's why the current commanders are by no means armchair bosses, not theoreticians. They are betting on them today.. Our military showed themselves very worthy there - in particular, we saw the brilliant work of the General Staff headed by Valery Gerasimov. In fact, we have tested in Syria everything that is necessary in the event that Ukraine goes on about the West and arranges an anti-Russian military provocation.”
