Syrian media, both pro-government and opposition, have been confused in reporting on the identity of the Russian commander who played a mediating role between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the government forces in addressing the issue of the security squares blockade in Hasaka and Qamishli. Most media outlets stated that Andrei Serdyukov is the commander of the Russian forces in Syria, claiming he met with General Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the SDF, to mediate between him and the Syrian army in the region. The pro-government site "Ather Press," funded by Iran, reported that a Russian delegation arrived in Hasaka on Tuesday led by General Andrei Serdyukov, who met with Abdi to discuss the ongoing tensions in the province and the blockade imposed by the SDF on the city center for the ninth consecutive day.
However, the "North Press" agency, affiliated with the U.S.-led international coalition against ISIS, reported that the general who visited Hasaka and met with Abdi was General Sergey Kiselev, describing him as the highest-ranking Russian general in Syria and confirming that he is the commander of Russian forces there. The agency stated that General Mazloum Abdi received Commander Sergey Kiselev on Tuesday, and both commanders discussed the issues in Deir ez-Zor and the heightened security measures in Hasaka and Qamishli.
**Ambiguity Surrounding Russian Command Leadership**
The ambiguity regarding the identity of the Russian commander in Syria began in late last year when several media outlets reported a farewell ceremony held for the commander of the Russian forces operating in Syria, General Andrei Serdyukov, at the Hmeimim military base on December 5. The event included the awarding of the special operations medal to two commanders of the Syrian-Russian ground forces, Nabil Al-Abdallah and Simon Al-Wakil, in the cities of Mahardah and Al-Suqaylabiyah in Hama province. Nabil Al-Abdallah, the commander of the Syrian ground forces, published photos from the ceremony, indicating that another commander had been appointed to replace Serdyukov without revealing the name.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not issued any official announcement regarding Serdyukov's dismissal, transfer, resignation, or the appointment of another commander for the Russian forces in Syria, which has caused considerable media confusion hindering the determination of the true identity of the Russian commander in Syria.
**Who is Andrei Serdyukov?**
Serdyukov was born in the Rostov region on March 4, 1962, and graduated from the Higher Airborne Command School in Ryazan in 1978, and later took command of it. He has held various positions and graduated from the "Fronze" military academy in 1993, then from the military academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia in 2009. He took command of the joint army in the Eastern Military District of Russia, and in October 2013, he was appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Southern Military District. He also participated in the security operation to reclaim the Crimean Peninsula for Russia in 2014 and was involved in the war that Russia waged in Chechnya.
In 2019, he moved to Syria, after which his service there was terminated, but he returned in 2022 to take command of the "Hmeimim Base." Before his transfer to Syria in 2022, he was the commander of airborne troops in the Russian-Ukrainian war, and his missions there ended in June of that same year. He also joined the "Peacekeeping Forces" to quell the protests that erupted in Kazakhstan following an increase in fuel prices during the New Year of 2022.
**His Role in Syria**
Serdyukov held his first position in Syria in 2018 when he was sent to expedite Russian-Turkish agreements regarding the organization of joint patrols in de-escalation zones as stipulated in the Sochi Agreement. Russian reports indicate that Serdyukov was slated to take up the position of commander of the Russian forces in Syria in 2017, but this did not occur due to injuries sustained from a car accident while returning from exercises in the Murmansk region, during which he suffered head injuries and spinal damage, requiring a recovery period. Colonel General Alexander Gurulev was chosen as his replacement. He later returned in 2022 to assume the same position. Ukrainian sources claim the primary reason for his transfer to Syria was his failure in military operations against the Ukrainian army.
Serdyukov has appeared at various events, including the inauguration of memorials for two Russian officers killed in Syria, and he has visited the "Hagia Sophia" Church in the city of Al-Suqaylabiyah in Hama province twice.
