Dmitri Semyonovich Sukhorukov (; 2 November 1922 – 8 July 2003) was a

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

General of the army Army general or General of the army is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System. Army general is normally the highest rank used in peacetime. In countries that adopt the general officer fou ...

who commanded the

Soviet airborne The Soviet Airborne Forces or VDV (from ''Vozdushno-Parachuting, desantnye voyska SSSR'', Russian: Воздушно-десантные войска СССР, ВДВ; Air-landing Forces) was a military branch, separate troops branch of the Soviet ...

between 1979 and 1987, during the

Soviet–Afghan War The Soviet–Afghan War took place in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from December 1979 to February 1989. Marking the beginning of the 46-year-long Afghan conflict, it saw the Soviet Union and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic o ...

. Sukhorukov fought as company commander in the 104th Guards Rifle Division during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and served in the 7th Guards Airborne Division postwar. In September 1962, he became the commander of the 98th Guards Airborne Division. He commanded the 2nd Army Corps from July 1968. After graduating from the Military Academy of the General Staff, Sukhorukov commanded the

Central Group of Forces The Central Group of Forces (Russian: Центральная группа войск) was a formation of the Soviet Armed Forces used to incorporate Soviet troops in Central Europe on two occasions: in Austria and Hungary from 1945 to 1955 and tr ...

in November 1976. From January 1979 to July 1987, he was the commander of the Soviet airborne, overseeing its operations in Afghanistan. In July 1987, he became the deputy defence minister for personnel and in 1990 was in the

Group of Inspectors General 200px, Inspector General of the USSR Ministry of Defense Republic_Day_(East_German.html" ;"title="Vasily Chuikov (right) at the military parade in honour of the Republic Day (East Germany)">30th anniversary of East Germany in Karl-Marx-Allee, Ea ...

. After retiring in 1992, Sukhorokov died on 8 July 2003.

Early life

Sukhorukov was born on 2 November 1922 to a peasant family in Bely Kolodez village in Korochansky Uyezd,

Kursk Governorate Kursk Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, which existed from 1796 to 1928 with its capital in Kursk. Administrative divisions As of 1914, Kursk Governorate included 15 uyezds. * Belgorods ...

. In 1939 he entered the Leningrad Military Engineering School, from which he graduated in 1941.

World War II

Sukhorukov was a platoon commander from 1941 to 1943. During 1943 and 1944, he was a company commander of military school cadets. In April 1944, Sukhorukov became a company commander in the 332nd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 104th Guards Rifle Division.

Postwar

Sukhorukov initially was a battalion commander in the airborne and then the deputy commander of the 80th Airborne Regiment. In 1958, Sukhorukov graduated from 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 ...

, after which he commanded the 108th Guards Airborne Regiment. In 1961, Sukhorukov became the 7th Guards Airborne Division's chief of staff and commanded the 98th Guards Airborne Division from 1962 to 1966. In 1966, Sukhorukov became a corps deputy commander and a corps commander in 1969. He was the deputy commander of the

from 1969. In 1971, he became an army commander. Sukhorukov was the

Transcaucasian Military District The Transcaucasian Military District, a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, traces its history to May 1921 and the incorporation of First Republic of Armenia, Armenia, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Azerbaijan, and Democratic Republic ...

's deputy commander from 1974 to 1976, after which he led the

. He replaced

Vasily Margelov Vasily Filippovich Margelov (; ; – 4 March 1990) was a Red Army General of the army (USSR), General who was the commander of the Soviet Airborne Forces (VDV) from 1954 to 1959 and from 1961 to 1979. Margelov modernized the VDV and was a Hero o ...

as commanded of the Soviet airborne in 1979. In 1987, Sukhorukov was replaced by Nikolai Kalinin and became the deputy defense minister for personnel. In 1992, he retired. He published his memoirs in 2000. Sukhroukov died on 8 July 2003 in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sukhorukov, Dmitri 1922 births 2003 deaths People from Shebekinsky District People from Korochansky Uyezd Army generals (Soviet Union) Commanders of the Soviet Airborne Forces Frunze Military Academy alumni Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni Soviet military personnel of World War II Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of Kutuzov, 1st class Recipients of the Order of Honour (Russia) Recipients of the Order of the White Lion Burials in Troyekurovskoye Cemetery