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General Lapin appointed as chief of Russian Army Main Staff — sources

In 2018-2019, Alexander Lapin was commander of the Russian group of forces in the Syrian Arab Republic

Chief of the Main Staff of the Russian Ground Forces Alexander Lapin Yegor Aleyev/TASS

Chief of the Main Staff of the Russian Ground Forces Alexander Lapin

© Yegor Aleyev/TASS

MOSCOW, January 10. /TASS/. Colonel-General Alexander Lapin has been appointed as chief of the Main Staff of the Russian Ground Forces, sources close to Russia’s Defense Ministry told TASS on Tuesday.

In 2017, Lapin was appointed as commander of the Central Military District. Until late October 2022, he was also in charge of the Operational Command Center in the special military operation in Ukraine.

"General Lapin has, indeed, been appointed as chief of the Russian Army Main Staff," a TASS source confirmed. Another source specified that the appointment took place in late 2022. The media outlet RBK earlier reported about Lapin’s appointment. The Russian Defense Ministry and other state agencies have not yet officially reported about Lapin’s appointment.

In 2018-2019, Lapin was commander of the Russian group of forces in the Syrian Arab Republic. In 2022, he was bestowed with the title of the Hero of the Russian Federation.

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