On November 2, a high ranking source of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation told the Russian media outlet RBC that the ministry will appoint Colonel General Alexander Zhuravlev as the commander of the Russian operation in Syria.
According to the report, his task is to prepare for a final stage of the Russian military operation in the war-torn country.
The general was previously appointed as the commander of the Russian operation in Syria back on 22 June 2016. However, he was removed from this position in December of the same year. After his return from Syrian, Zhuravlev was promoted from a lieutenant general to a colonel general.
Col. Gen. Zhuravlev is 51 years old, he graduated from the Military Academy of Armored Forces back in 1996. In 2008, Zhuravlev was appointed as the chief of staff of the 58th Army command that’s stationed in Vladikavkaz city.
In 2010, Col. Gen. Zhuravlev became the commander of the 2nd Guards Tank Army in Smara city. Then in 2015 he was appointed as the deputy commander of the Central Military District of the Russian Army.
During his service as the commander of the Russian operation in Syria, Lt. Gen. Zhuravlev overviewed the battle for Aleppo city, which started on November 15, 2016. Zhuravlev also was in service when ISIS launched its second attack on Palmyra city on December 8, 2016.