Oleg Makarevich

Oleg Leontyevich Makarevich (Russian: Олег Леонтьевич Макаревич; born 30 December 1962) is a Russian Ground Forces colonel general who until October 2023 commanded the Dnieper Grouping of Forces in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Oleg Makarevich
Native name	Олег Леонтьевич Макаревич
Birth name	Oleg Leontyevich Makarevich
Born	(1962-12-30) 30 December 1962 (age 61) Kuznetsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Soviet Union  Russia
Service / branch	Russian Ground Forces
Years of service	1979–present
Rank	Colonel General

Biography

Oleg Leontyevich Makerevich was born on 30 December 1962 in Kuznetsk. In 1984 he graduated from the Moscow Higher Military Command School. From 1984 to 1989 he served in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany as a platoon commander, company commander, and battalion chief of staff in a tank division. Makarevich was accepted to the Frunze Military Academy in 1989 and after his graduation in 1992 served in the Far Eastern Military District as a battalion commander, motor rifle regiment chief of staff and deputy commander, and motor rifle regiment commander. In 1998 he was transferred to the North Caucasus Military District, serving as chief of staff and deputy commander of a motor rifle division and commanding that motor rifle division.^[1]

Makarevich was admitted to the Military Academy of the General Staff in 2004, and on graduation in 2006 was appointed chief of staff and first deputy commander of the 22nd Guards Combined Arms Army. In 2008 he was transferred to the Volga–Ural Military District to command the 2nd Guards Combined Arms Army. Between 2010 and 2012 he served as chief of the military science department of the Military Academy of the General Staff. From 2012 to 2013 he commanded the 36th Combined Arms Army of the Eastern Military District. In 2013 he was appointed deputy commander of the Western Military District, and in October 2013 appointed chief of staff and first deputy commander of the district. Between 2014 and 2017 he served as chief of the Combined Arms Academy. From September 2017 to March 2019 he served as chief of the Coastal Troops of the Russian Navy and deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy. From February 2019, Makarevich served as first deputy chief of the Military Academy of the General Staff.^[1]

Russo-Ukrainian War

Main article: Russian invasion of Ukraine

In early 2023 there was speculation that he replaced Mikhail Teplinsky as airborne forces commander.^[2][3][4] He was promoted to colonel general on 17 February 2023,^[5] and by April commanded the Dnieper Grouping of Forces in the Kherson sector.^[6][7]

According to Russian milbloggers cited by the Institute for the Study of War. He was replaced Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky as commander of Dneper forces on 29 October 2023.^[8]

Decorations

• Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class with swords
• Order of Zhukov
• Order of Courage
• Order of Military Merit
• Order of Honour
• Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" 2nd class with swords

References

1. "МАКАРЕВИЧ Олег Леонтьевич" (in Russian). Military Academy of the General Staff.
2. Kateryna Stepanenko; Karolina Hird; Riley Bailey; Grace Mappes; George Barros; Layne Philipson; Frederick W. Kagan (20 January 2023). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, January 20, 2023". understandingwar.org. ISW. Retrieved 21 January 2023. The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has not yet confirmed Teplinsky's dismissal nor confirmed Makarevich's appointment.
3. Karolina Hird; Grace Mappes; Angela Howard; George Barros; Frederick W. Kagan (21 January 2023). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, January 21, 2023". understandingwar.org. ISW. Retrieved 21 January 2023. Milblogger discourse surrounding the reported replacement of Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky with Lieutenant General Oleg Makarevich as commander of the Russian Airborne Forces (VDV) has further emphasized the fracture between two main groups within the Russian MoD—the pro-Gerasimov camp, comprised of those who represent the conventional MoD establishment, and milblogger favorites who are less aligned with the MoD institution.
4. "Универсальный солдат: что известно об Олеге Макаревиче, которого называют новым командующем ВДВ, и почему Михаил Теплинский отправлен в отставку" [A universal soldier: what is known about Oleg Makarevich, who has been named the new commander of the airborne forces, and why Mikhail Teplinsky has been dismissed]. bloknot.ru (in Russian). 13 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
5. "Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 17.02.2023 № 99 ∙ Официальное опубликование правовых актов". publication.pravo.gov.ru. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
6. "Замкомандующего объединенной группировкой в зоне СВО Теплинский остается командующим ВДВ". Interfax.ru (in Russian). 18 April 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
7. Riley Bailey; Grace Mappes; Kateryna Stepanenko; Angelica Evans; George Barros; Frederick W. Kagan (30 June 2023). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 27, 2023". understandingwar.org. ISW. Retrieved 29 August 2023. Milbloggers complained that the Russian military command is unnecessarily impaling Russian forces on Ukrainian remotely laid mines and compelling Russian forces to put heavy military equipment in range of Ukrainian artillery fire. One milblogger explicitly blamed Russian "Dnepr" Group of Forces (Kherson Oblast) Commander Colonel General Oleg Makarevich, reportedly headquartered in Rostov-on-Don, for these operations, implying that there is no relevant commander closer to the front line responsible for east bank Kherson Oblast.
8. Riley Bailey; Grace Mappes; Kateryna Stepanenko; Angelica Evans; Frederick W. Kagan. "RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, OCTOBER 29, 2023". understandingwar.org. Retrieved 30 October 2023.