Viktor Vladimirovich Gulevich (russian: Виктор Владимирович Гулевич; be, Віктар Уладзіміравіч Гулевіч, translit=Viktar Uladzimiravich Hulevich, born 14 May 1969) is a Belarusian general who is the current Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus.

Biography

He was born in 1969 in the village of Bolshaya Pader in the

Slutsk District Slutsk District ( be, Слу́цкі раён, russian: Слу́цкий райо́н) is a second-level administrative subdivision (raion) of Belarus in the Minsk Region. Notable residents * Alena Kish (1889 or 1896, Ramanava (now Lenina) vi ...

, of the

Byelorussian SSR The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор� ...

. After graduating from high school, he entered the Moscow Higher Military Command School, which he graduated from with honors in 1990. He began his service as a platoon commander in the

Group of Soviet Forces in Germany The Western Group of Forces (WGF),. previously known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (GSOFG). and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG),. were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany. The Group of Soviet Occupati ...

. Then he served in the

Transcaucasian Military District The Transcaucasian Military District, a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, traces its history to May 1921 and the incorporation of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia into the Soviet Union. It was disbanded by being redesignated as a Grou ...

. After the

collapse of the USSR The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

, he returned to a newly independent

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

, where he again commanded a platoon and rose to the rank of regimental commander in the

103rd Guards Airborne Division The 103rd Separate Guards Airborne Brigade is an airborne brigade of the Belarusian Special Forces. Its predecessor unit was the 103rd Guards Airborne Division (russian: 103-я гвардейская воздушно-десантная орден� ...

. In 2002, he graduated with a gold medal from the Command and Staff Faculty of the

Military Academy of Belarus Military Academy of the Republic of Belarus ( be, Ваенная акадэмія Рэспублікі Беларусь, ) is higher military educational institution in the national education system of the Republic of Belarus and the leading insti ...

. He then served in various command positions. On 14 February 2011, Colonel Gulevich led the Combat Training Department of the

38th Guards Air Assault Brigade The 38th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade is a Special forces brigade of the Armed Forces of Belarus. It is currently based in Brest. The brigade was originally formed from the elements of the disbanded 105th Guards Vienna Airborne Division ...

. In 2017 he graduated from the Faculty of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, and in 2018 he defended his Ph.D. thesis. In February 2020, he was appointed commander of the Western Operational Command. That June, he was promoted to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

. On 11 March 2021, he was appointed Chief of the General Staff, succeeding Alexander Volfovich. Gerasimov and Gulevich 01

In March 2022, Ukrainian sources reported his resignation, and posted what is claimed to be his resignation letter. The Belorusian Defence Ministry stated that it was not possible for Gulevich to resign, because the right to dismiss him was held by the Commander-in-chief. The Ministry stated that Belarusian soldiers were fully performing their duties, on Belarusian territory.

Awards

* Honored Specialist Armed Forces of Belarus (March 5, 2019) * Order "For Service to the Motherland" III degree (June 24, 2012) * Medal "For Flawless Service" I (August 16, 2018), II, and III degrees

Personal life

He is married, with his wife Victoria Lvovna Gulevich serving as a medical instructor and a signalman in the

. Together they have two children: Sergei and Anya.

References

External link

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gulevich, Viktor 1969 births Belarusian generals Government of Belarus Living people Soviet military personnel Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia alumni Military personnel from Minsk