Russian Colonel General Rustam Muradov has been elevated to the position of First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces by order of President Vladimir Putin. His promotion reflects his involvement in various military operations, spanning from the Caucasus to Ukraine.

Muradov is well-known in the South Caucasus as the former commander of Russian peacekeepers in the Garabagh region following the 2020 war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. However, his tenure was marred by controversy. Accusations of covert support for Armenian separatists and perceived violations of his neutrality stirred dissatisfaction in Azerbaijani society.

In 2021, Muradov faced sharp criticism for his meetings in Khankendi and for overlooking the activities of separatists, actions that many Azerbaijani analysts viewed as breaches of his peacekeeping mandate.

His promotion to this key position within the Russian Ground Forces underscores his strategic contributions, including his recent activities on the Ukrainian front.