Andrey Valeryevich Kartapolov (; born 9 November 1963) is a Russian politician and former army officer of the

Russian Army The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...

. From 30 July 2018 to October 2021 he served as Deputy

Defence Minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

, and headed the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces. He had commanded the

Western Military District The Western Military District () was a Military districts of Russia, military district of Russia, in existence from 2010 until its abolishment as a unitary military command on February 26, 2024, succeeded by the newly reconstituted Moscow Mil ...

from 2015 to 2016, and again from 2017 to 2018. Kartapolov has held the rank of

colonel general Colonel general is a military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically General officer#Old European system, general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, ...

since 2015. He is currently a member of parliament, a deputy of the

State Duma The State Duma is the lower house of the Federal Assembly (Russia), Federal Assembly of Russia, with the upper house being the Federation Council (Russia), Federation Council. It was established by the Constitution of Russia, Constitution of t ...

, elected on 19 September 2021.

Biography

Early life and studies

Andrey Kartapolov was born in

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

, on 9 November 1963. He graduated from the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School named after the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR in 1985, the

Frunze Military Academy The M. V. Frunze Military Academy (), or in full the Military Order of Lenin and the October Revolution, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Academy in the name of M. V. Frunze (), was a military academy of the Soviet and later the Russian Armed Forces ...

in 1993, and the

Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia The Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation () is the senior staff college of the Russian Armed Forces. The academy is located in Moscow, on 14 Kholzunova Lane. It was founded in 1936 as a Soviet inst ...

in 2007.

Military service

Kartapolov rose from platoon commander to commander of a motorized rifle division in the

Group of Soviet Forces in Germany The Western Group of Forces (WGF), previously known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (GSOFG) and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG), were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany. The Group of Soviet Occupation ...

, the Western Group of Forces, and the

Far Eastern Military District The Far Eastern Military District () was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Pacific Fleet and part of the Siberian Military District to form the new Eastern Military District. Histo ...

. From 2007 to 2008, he was the Deputy Army Commander in the

Siberian Military District The Siberian Military District was a Military district of the Russian Ground Forces. The district was originally formed as a military district of the Russian Empire in 1864. In 1924 it was reformed in the Red Army. After the end of World War II the ...

, and from 2008 to 2009, he was the Chief of Staff of the 22nd Guards Army in the

Moscow Military District The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District () is a Military districts of Russia, military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Originally it was a district of the Imperial Russian Army until the Russian Empire's collapse in 191 ...

. From 2009 to 2010, he was the Head of the Directorate of the

Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces The Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (; official abbreviation GOU GSh VS RF ) is the main body of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, General Staff of the Russian Armed Forc ...

. From May 2010 to January 2012, Kartapolov was the Commander of the

58th Army The 58th Guards Combined Arms Army () is an army of the Russian Ground Forces, headquartered at Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia-Alania, within Russia's Southern Military District. It was formed in 1941 as part of the Soviet Union's Red Army and has be ...

of the

North Caucasus The North Caucasus, or Ciscaucasia, is a subregion in Eastern Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which separates Europe and Asia. The North Caucasus is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the B ...

, then the

Southern Military District The Order of the Red Banner Southern Military District () is a military district of Russia. It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction primarily within the North Caucasus region of the country ...

. Between January 2012 and February 2013, he was the Deputy Commander of the Southern Military District. On 13 December 2012, Kartapolov was awarded the rank of

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

. From February 2013 to June 2014, he was the Chief of Staff of the

. Between June 2014 and 9 November 2015, he was the Chief of the Main Operations Directorate - Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia. During this time he was a close associate of

Valery Gerasimov Valery Vasilyevich Gerasimov (born 8 September 1955) is a Russian Army general (Russia), army general serving as the Chief of the General Staff (Russia), Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and First Deputy Ministry of Defen ...

and emphasized "preemption and asymmetric measures against expected NATO courses of action". On 11 June 2015, Kartapolov was promoted to

. On 10 November 2015, Kartapolov was appointed commander of the

. On 23 November 2015, he was presented by the Minister of Defense,

Sergey Shoygu Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu; , . (born 21 May 1955) is a Russian politician and military officer who has served as Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, secretary of the Security Council of Russia, Security Council since 2024. He served ...

, to the leadership of the Western Military District and he was awarded the standard of the commander of the district. From 19 December 2016 to March 2017, Kartapolov was the commander of the

Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war {{Infobox military conflict , partof = the foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war, foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war, and the war against the Islamic State , image = , image_size = , border ...

. During his command after an operation involving Russian aviation and

Russian Special Operations Forces The Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly known as the Special Operations Forces ( SOF; ), are strategic-level special forces under the Special Operations Forces Command () of the General Staff of the A ...

on 2 March 2017,

Palmyra Palmyra ( ; Palmyrene dialect, Palmyrene: (), romanized: ''Tadmor''; ) is an ancient city in central Syria. It is located in the eastern part of the Levant, and archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first menti ...

was returned to the control of the

Syrian government The government of Syria takes place in a presidential system and is currently in a transitionary period under and led by a transitional government. The seat of the government is located in Damascus, Syria. On 8 December 2024, after the succ ...

for the second time. Victorious, said he:

Civil service

On 30 July 2018, by

decree of the President of Russia A Decree of the President of the Russian Federation (; ''Ukaz Prezidenta Rossiyskoy Federatsii'') or Executive Order (Decree) of the President of Russia is a legal act (''ukase'') with the status of a by-law made by the President of Russia. As no ...

, Kartapolov was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense, the Head of the Main Military-Political Directorate. He thus became the ninth Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia and headed the GVPU, recreated on the same day, to strengthen military-patriotic education in the Armed Forces of Russia. On 9 August 2018, he was presented to the personnel, on 31 August 2018, the Minister of Defense, Shoygu, presented him with a personal standard. In addition to the Main Military-Political Directorate, Kartapolov is subordinate to the Department of Culture of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, for work with citizens' appeals and the Military Heraldic Service of the Armed Forces of Russia. On 18 November 2019, the Decree of the President of Russia, No. 561, Kartapolov was included in the

Heraldic Council of the President of the Russian Federation The Heraldic Council of the President of the Russian Federation (translated various ways), Russian: ''Геральдический совет при Президенте Российской Федерации'', is a part of the Russian Presidenti ...

. He is a member of the Collegium of the Ministry of Defense. At the end of April 2021, Kartapolov applied for participation in the primaries of the

United Russia The All-Russian Political Party United Russia (, ) is the Ruling party, ruling List of political parties in Russia, political party of Russia. As the largest party in the Russian Federation, it holds 325 (or 72.22%) of the 450 seats in the St ...

party. If he wins, he will participate in the upcoming elections to the

on a party list in Moscow.

Political service

Kartapolov was elected on 19 September 2021 a deputy of the

8th State Duma The State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the 8th convocation () is the current convocation of the State Duma, lower house of Federal Assembly (Russia), Russian parliament. The composition of the 8th State Duma was dete ...

, and as of April 2023 chaired the Defence Committee there. On 5 October 2021, by decree of the President of Russia, Kartapolov was relieved of his post as head of the Main Military-Political Directorate and released from military service in connection with his transfer to work in the State Duma. On 18 March 2022 Kartapolov informed other members of the

CSTO Parliamentary Assembly The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO, ) is an intergovernmental military alliance in Eurasia consisting of six post-Soviet states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. The Collective Security Treaty ha ...

(PA) about Russian investigations of US involvement in Ukrainian biolabs. On 10 April 2023 as chair of the Defense Committee Kartapolov stated that soon-to-come legislative amendments would make it illegal to ignore electronic all military draft summonses. If the legislation is passed, "it will limit draft evaders’ rights to drive a vehicle, buy and sell real estate, apply for credit, and leave the country." On 11 April 2023 Kartapolov made a statement to the State Duma about his committee's investigation into activities of the supposed US biological laboratories in Ukraine. In July 2023, Kartapolov was responsible for new legislation which established regional military companies that will be in charge of "guarding the state border in times of war." The legislation would come into effect on 1 January 2024. Kartapolov praised Putin for his decision to remove as Minister of Defence

Sergey Shoigu Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu; , . (born 21 May 1955) is a Russian politician and military officer who has served as secretary of the Security Council since 2024. He served as Minister of Defence of Russia from 2012 to 2024. Shoigu has served ...

amid the spring 2024 general house-cleaning in the ministry and said: “The president does not make mistakes in personnel matters.” On 24 June 2024 Kartapolov warned that Russia might change the doctrine for the application of nuclear weapons, to shorten the chain of command and thus to speed delivery. This followed Putin's earlier announcement to the same effect. In late July 2024, the

has passed a law that will make it a disciplinary offence for Russian soldiers to possess smart devices, the law now requires President Putin's signature to come into force. The draft law was introduced by Andrey Kartapolov, as Chairman of the Parliamentary Defense Committee. It bans Russian soldiers from using devices that connect to the internet, that geolocate, take pictures or can take audio/video recordings. Duma members debated the law, as Russian soldiers use smart devices for communication and to control drones. However Andrey Kartapolov said a total ban was the only way to "protect the Russian military from the bad influence of the Internet."

Sanctions

Kartapolov was sanctioned by the UK government in 2015 for his role in the

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...

. On 16 February 2015, the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

included him in the sanctions list of persons whose assets are frozen in the EU and in respect of whom visa restrictions have been introduced. He is one of the members of the

sanctioned by the

United States Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current U.S. government departments. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and ...

on 24 March 2022 in response to the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

Controversies

Allegations of involvement in the destruction of MH17

On 17 July 2014, a Buk-M1 missile, according to unofficial foreign experts, from the

53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade The 53rd Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade is a surface-to-air missile brigade of the Russian Ground Forces. Part of the 20th Guards Army, the brigade is based at Kursk. Formed from an anti-aircraft regiment in 1967 in Armenia, the brigade wa ...

of the Russian Air Defense, shot down a Boeing 777 belonging to Malaysian Airlines over the territory of

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

, killing 298 people. According to an unofficial international research group investigating the disaster, Buk-M1 installations were secretly transferred to Ukraine in June 2014. The 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Air Defense belongs to the Western Military District, of which Kartapolov was the chief of staff at that time. Thus, according to experts, the transfer of anti-aircraft systems by his subordinates to the territory of Ukraine and the attack of air targets over its territory took place with his knowledge and on his order. On 21 July 2014, Kartapolov, taking part in a press conference of the Ministry of Defense, said that the means of radar surveillance of the Ministry of Defense recorded that shortly before the crash, a

Su-25 The Sukhoi Su-25 ''Grach'' ( ('' rook''); NATO reporting name: Frogfoot) is a subsonic, single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Sukhoi. It was designed to provide close air support for Soviet Ground Forces. The ...

aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was flying at a distance of 3-5 km from the Malaysian Boeing. According to statements published on the Bellingcat website, a check carried out by international experts showed that the data provided by Kartapolov was deliberately fabricated and no Ukrainian military aircraft were recorded in the vicinity of Boeing on the day of the crash. The Ministry of Defense declared that these conclusions were far-fetched. On 26 September 2016, at a briefing by the Russian Ministry of Defense, Deputy Chief Designer of the Lianozovsky Electromechanical Plant Research and Production Association Viktor Meshcheryakov said that the Utyos T radar complex showed that there were no third-party air objects near the Malaysian aircraft. This statement was made in the presence of the official representative of the Ministry of Defense, Major General

Igor Konashenkov Lieutenant General Igor Yevgenyevich Konashenkov (; born 15 May 1966) is a Russian military officer serving as the Head of the Department of Information and Mass Communication of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. Early life ...

and the head of the radio-technical troops of the Aerospace Forces, Major General Andrey Koban. This information is an actual refutation of Kartapolov's statement two years earlier.По ложному следу: Минобороны заявило, что Киев скрывает данные о МH17
26.09.2016

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kartapolov, Andrey 1963 births Living people Military personnel from Weimar Russian colonel generals Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 3rd class Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class Recipients of the Order of Military Merit (Russia) Frunze Military Academy alumni Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia alumni Russian military personnel of the Syrian civil war Eighth convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation) Russian individuals subject to European Union sanctions Russian individuals subject to United Kingdom sanctions Russian individuals subject to U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions Deputy defence ministers of Russia Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Recipients of the Order of Courage (Russia)