Vladimir Zavadsky
Russian general (1978–2023)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Major General Vladimir Vasilyevich Zavadsky[a] (11 January 1978 – 28 November 2023) was a Russian military officer who was the deputy commander of the 14th Army Corps of the Russian Navy. He was killed in Kharkiv Oblast during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reportedly by a landmine.
Vladimir Zavadsky | |
|---|---|
Zavadsky in 2021 | |
| Native name | Владимир Завадский |
| Born | 11 January 1978 Novocherkassk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Died | 28 November 2023 (aged 45) near Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine |
Cause of death | Landmine |
| Allegiance | Russia |
Branch | Russian Ground Forces |
Service years | 2000–2023 |
Rank | Major General |
Conflicts | |
| Awards |  Order of Courage[1]  Order of Alexander Nevsky[2] |
| Education | Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School (2000) Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (2010) |
| Spouse | Oksana Vasilyevna Balashakova |
| Children | 2 |
Biography
Zavadsky was originally from Rostov Oblast. He graduated from the Ulyanovsk Guards Suvorov Military School in 1995, then graduated from the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School in 2000.[2] In 2010, he graduated from the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,[3] and was honoured by then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.[2]
In 2018, he was appointed as commander of the 4th Guards Tank Division (also known as the "Kantemirovsky Tank Division"[4]), which he led until 2021.[2]
Zavadsky took part in the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in 2022 as the deputy commander of the 14th Army Corps of the Russian Navy.[5][6][7][2][8] According to Ukrainian analysts, Zavadsky was wounded during his flight from Izium during Ukraine's 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive.[9]
Lenta.ru reported that Zavadsky was killed near Izium in Kharkiv Oblast on 28 November 2023 by one of the Russian military's own landmines in Ukraine.[10] Zavadsky may have driven a captured Ukrainian vehicle carrying three Russian officers into a minefield while escaping friendly fire from uninformed mortar teams, according to an unconfirmed source.[11] The Russian Defence Ministry did not comment on the incident.[4] The location of his death was not certain: the Kyiv Independent was skeptical that it was Izium, noting that the city was "dozens of kilometers" behind the front line in Ukrainian-controlled territory.[12] The BBC suggested that Zavadsky's unit was stationed in Kherson Oblast during the incident.[13] On 4 December, Voronezh Oblast governor Alexander Gusev confirmed Zavadsky had died "in the line of duty" in Ukraine, but did not elaborate on details.[14][13]