Mikhail Yuryevich Teplinsky (; ; born 9 January 1969) is a Russian

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, ...

born in

Soviet Ukraine The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. Under the Soviet one-party m ...

who has served as

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

of the

Russian Airborne Forces The Russian Airborne Forces () is the airborne separate combat arm of the Russian Armed Forces. It is a rapid response force and strategic reserve that is under the President of Russia, reporting directly to the Chief of the General Staff, and ...

since June 2022. He was awarded the title

Hero of the Russian Federation Hero of the Russian Federation ( rus, Герой Российской Федерации, p=ɡʲɪˈroj rɐˈsʲijskəj fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨɪ), also unofficially called Hero of Russia ( rus, Герой России, p=ɡʲɪˈroj rɐˈsʲiɪ), is ...

in 1995.

Biography

Mikhail Teplinsky was born in Mospyne, in what was then the

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...

, in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, on 9 January 1969. In 1987 he entered and in 1991 graduated from the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School. He served in the

106th Guards Airborne Division The 106th Guards Tula Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Airborne Division (; MUN 55599), more generally referred to as the Tula Division, is one of the four airborne divisions of the Russian Airborne Troops, the VDV (). Based in the city of Tula, ...

stationed in Tula. He commanded an airborne reconnaissance platoon and a reconnaissance company of the

137th Guards Airborne Regiment The 137th Guards Airborne Regiment (military unit 41450) at Ryazan is a formation of the Russian Airborne Troops. It is part of the 106th Guards Tula Airborne Division. In 2014, the regiment was involved in the Russian military intervention in Uk ...

. From 1992 to 1993, he took part in the

Transnistria War The Transnistria War (; ) was an armed conflict that broke out on 2 November 1990 in Dubăsari between pro-Transnistria (Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, PMR) forces, including the Transnistrian Republican Guard, militia and neo-Cossack unit ...

. From December 1994 to March 1995 he participated in the

First Chechen War The First Chechen War, also referred to as the First Russo-Chechen War, was a struggle for independence waged by the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria against the invading Russia, Russian Federation from 1994 to 1996. After a mutually agreed on treaty ...

. He distinguished himself in battles while crossing the

Sunzha River The Sunzha ( rus, Су́нжа, p=ˈsunʐə; , ; ) is a river in North Ossetia, Ingushetia and Chechnya, Russia, a tributary of the Terek. It flows northeast inside the great northwest bend of the Terek River and catches most of the rivers t ...

. During the period of hostilities, senior lieutenant Teplinsky had about 30 destroyed militants on his personal combat account. For courage and heroism shown during the performance of a special task, by decree of the President of Russia of 1 March 1995, Senior Lieutenant Teplinsky was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. While still in Chechnya, he received a promotion in rank and position: he became the captain and head of intelligence of the parachute regiment. In 1999, Teplinsky graduated from the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of Russia. He took command of a paratrooper battalion that year, and went on to fight in the

Second Chechen War Names The Second Chechen War is also known as the Second Chechen Campaign () or the Second Russian Invasion of Chechnya from the Chechens, Chechen insurgents' point of view.Федеральный закон № 5-ФЗ от 12 января 19 ...

. Transferred to the

76th Guards Airborne Division 76th may refer to: *76th Academy Awards ceremony honored films of 2003 * 76th Air Army, an air army of the Soviet Air Forces from 1949 to 1980 and from 1988 to 1998 *76th Air Assault Division (Russia), a division of the Russian Airborne Troops base ...

Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also Names of Pskov in different languages, names in other languages) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov O ...

, he was chief of staff and commander of the 234th Guards Airborne Regiment of the Black Sea. He became a Guard Colonel in 2002. In October 2002, he was appointed deputy commander of the 76th Guards Airborne Division, and since 2003 he was its chief of staff. In 2007, Teplinsky graduated from 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 June 2007, he was appointed head of the 212th Guards District Training Center Vienna named after the Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General I. N. Russiyanov (

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 ...

Chita Oblast Chita Oblast ( rus, Чити́нская о́бласть, r=Čitínskaja óblastj, p=tɕɪˈtʲinskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) was a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) in southeast Siberia, Russia. Its administrative center was the city of Chita. ...

). Since June 2009, he was the Chief of Staff - 1st Deputy Commander of the

20th Guards Combined Arms Army The 20th Guards Combined Arms Army (originally designated as the 4th Tank Army, 4th Guards Tank Army in 1945, 4th Guards Mechanised Army in 1946, and the 20th Guards Army in 1960 within the Soviet Ground Forces) is a field army. In 1991, after th ...

of 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 ...

in Mulino,

Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Nizhny Novgorod Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Nizhny Novgorod. It has a population of 3,119,115 as of the 2021 Ru ...

. Teplinsky was promoted to Guards Major General in 2012. On 19 February 2013, Teplinsky became the Commanding General of the

36th Combined Arms Army The 36th Combined Arms Army is a combined arms ( field) army of the Russian Ground Forces, part of the Eastern Military District ( 05776). History The army was formed in 1997 from the 55th Army Corps at Borzya in the Siberian Military Dist ...

of the

Eastern Military District The Order of the Red Banner Eastern Military District ( Russian: Восточный военный округ) is a military district of Russia. It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction wi ...

, and became a lieutenant general on 13 December 2014. In May 2015, he was appointed chief of staff of the territorial troops in 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 ...

. According to the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the

Ministry of Defence of Ukraine The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine () is the ministry of the Ukrainian government that oversees national defence and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The head of the ministry is the Minister of Defence. The President of Ukraine is the Supreme Com ...

, Teplinksy provided support to the armed forces of the self-proclaimed

Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; ; ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin, and Stalino, is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine located on the Kalmius River in Donetsk Oblast, which is currently occupied by Russia as the capita ...

and

Luhansk People's Republic The Luhansk People's Republic (LPR; , ) is a disputed territory administered as a republic of Russia in the occupied parts of eastern Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast, with its capital in Luhansk. The LPR was proclaimed by Russian-backed paramilitar ...

. On 14 March 2017, by decree of the President of Russia, Teplinsky was appointed Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of the

. On 5 April 2019, Teplinsky was appointed Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commanding General of the

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

. By Decree of the President of Russia dated in December 2021, Teplinsky was promoted to Colonel General.

Russian invasion of Ukraine

In June 2022, Teplinsky was appointed commanding general of the

. In January 2023, according to ''The Moscow Times'', and to British Intelligence, Teplinsky was dismissed as the commanding general of the Russian Airborne Forces. Since 13 December 2022, Teplinsky has been under British sanctions. In April 2023 Kremlin Press Secretary

Dmitry Peskov Dmitry Sergeyevich Peskov (, ; born 17 October 1967) is a Russian diplomat serving as the Kremlin Press Secretary, spokesman for President of Russia, Russian president Vladimir Putin since 2012.Russian General Staff The General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation () is the military staff of the Russian Armed Forces. It is the central organ of the military command of the Armed Forces Administration and oversees operational command of the armed ...

. Indeed, while

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 ...

formally retained his title of

Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces (militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff (Afghanistan) * Chief of the General Staff (Albania) * C ...

in Ukraine in the aftermath of the

Wagner Group rebellion On 23 June 2023, the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, staged an uprising against the Russia under Vladimir Putin, Russian government. It marked the climax of the Wagner Group–Russian Ministry of Defence conflict, Wagner Grou ...

, his public disappearance started rumours about Teplinsky taking over and actually running the war. In October 2023 Teplinsky was promoted to commander of the Dnepr Battlegroup. He replaced Colonel-General Oleg Makarevich. On 12 March 2024 the AFU claimed to have liquidated Teplinsky in an airstrike on the oil tanker ''Mechanic Pogodin''. On 30 June 2024, reports in the press abounded that he was severely wounded by a Ukrainian missile strike in

Henichesk Henichesk (, ; , ) is a port city along the Sea of Azov in Kherson Oblast, southern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative centre of Henichesk Raion. Since 9 November 2022, it has served as the temporary administrative centre of the Russian o ...

. However, on 2 August 2024, a video of Teplinsky congratulating his troops on

Paratroopers' Day Airborne Forces Day also known as Paratroopers' Day is a professional military holiday observed in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, celebrated on 2 August annually. It was formerly celebrated in the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991. It was c ...

and speaking about recent events on the front was published.

Family

Teplinsky is married, with two sons and a daughter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Teplinsky, Mikhail 1969 births Commanders of the Russian Airborne Forces Heroes of the Russian Federation Living people Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of Russia alumni Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia alumni Military personnel from Donetsk Oblast Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class Recipients of the Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 1st class Recipients of the Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class Recipients of the Order of Courage (Russia) Russian colonel generals Russian military personnel of the Russian invasion of Ukraine Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School alumni

Biography

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Family

See also

References