Sultan Aslambekovich Sosnaliyev (russian: Султан Асламбекович Сосналиев; 23 April 1942 – 23 November 2008) was a Soviet Army officer of Circassian ethnicity who served as a commander of Abkhaz and North Caucasian forces during the War in Abkhazia and as the defence minister of Abkhazia in 1993–1996 and 2005–2007.

Early life

Sultan Sosnaliyev was born in Baksan in

Kabardino-Balkaria The Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (russian: Кабарди́но-Балка́рская Респу́блика, ''Kabardino-Balkarskaya Respublika''; kbd, Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр Республикэ, ''Ķêbêrdej-Baĺķêr Respublik� ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

, to Kabardin parents. He graduated from the

Syzran Higher Military Aviation School , image = Great emblem of the Syzran Higher Military Aviation School.svg , caption = Great emblem of the Syzran Higher Military Aviation School , nickname = SVVAUL , motto = , colors = , march = , ceremonial_chief = , type = Military acade ...

and from the Zhukov Air and Space Defense Academy and served in the Soviet anti-aircraft forces for 29 years. He retired in 1990 in the rank of a colonel and worked in

's construction industry till 1992.

Role in the War in Abkhazia

Sosnaliyev became the head of the military department of the newly formed Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus. After the beginning of the War in Abkhazia he arrived to Abkhazia with the group of Kabardin volunteers through on 15 August 1992. He was appointed the head of the staff of the Gudauta-based State Committee of the Defence and was one of the planners of the victorious

Battle of Gagra The Battle of Gagra was fought between Georgian forces and the Abkhaz secessionists aided by the Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus (CMPC) militants from 1 to 6 October 1992, during the War in Abkhazia. The allies, commanded by th ...

. He was appointed the minister of defence in April 1993 and later awarded the rank of

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

. Sosnaliyev and

Sergei Dbar Sergei Dbar was a prominent military leader of Abkhazia. Dbar was born on 2 May 1946 in the village of Mgudzyrkhua in the Gudauta District. After a career in the Soviet Army, Dbar became one of Abkhazia's military leaders in the 1992-1993 war with ...

planned the July and September Sukhumi offensives. On 24–25 March 1994 Sosnaliyev was in charge of the last operation of the war – capture of the village of Lata in the Kodori Valley.

Post-war life

Sosnaliyev resigned in July 1996 and returned to

. After

Sergei Bagapsh Sergei Uasyl-ipa Bagapsh, ka, სერგეი ბაგაფში, russian: Сергей Васильевич Багапш, translit=Sergey Vasilyevich Bagapsh (4 March 1949 – 29 May 2011) was an Abkhaz politician who served as th ...

had been elected the President of Abkhazia he offered the office of the minister of defence to Sosnaliyev as "reforms were desperately needed"

Regnum.ru REGNUM News Agency is a Russian nationwide online news service disseminating news from Russia and abroad from its own correspondents, affiliate agencies and partners. REGNUM covers events in all regions of Russia as well as neighboring countries ...

интервью президента Абхазии Сергея Багапш
(''Interview of Sergei Bagapsh, the President of Abkhazia''), 4 March 2005 in the Abkhazian army. The latter agreed and served in the Abkhazian government as a minister of defence and a vice-premier till May 2007.

Honours and awards

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...

*Title Honoured Military Pilot of the USSR *Title " Hero of Abkhazia" *Order "Honor and Glory" (Abkhazia)

References

Sources

Полководец Султан Сосналиев
''Commander Sultan Sosnaliyev'' from the official site of the President of Abkhazia {{DEFAULTSORT:Sosnaliyev, Sultan 1942 births 2008 deaths People from Baksan Vice Premiers of Abkhazia Abkhazian military personnel Ministers for Defence of Abkhazia Soviet Air Defence Force officers Syzran Higher Military Aviation School alumni Zhukov Air and Space Defence Academy alumni North Caucasian independence activists