Alexey Gennadyevich Dyumin

Semen Novoprudsky wrote in April 2016 that "Putin could nominate any successor he likes. Russia is preoccupied by guesswork regarding the subject on an ongoing basis. Possible nominees for the post of the fifth President of Russia (given that realistically, since the collapse of the USSR only two people have ruled the country – namely Yeltsin and Putin), include: ... former presidential bodyguard Alexey Dyumin, who completely unexpectedly became the first Deputy Minister of Defense, and subsequently governor of the Tula Oblast."

Alexey Gennadyevich Dyumin was born 28 August 1972. The father - Gennady Dyumin, was a military doctor, General, Chief of the 4th Department of the Main Military Medical Directorate of the Ministry of Defence (since August 2013). His mother worked as a teacher. As a child Dyumin also lived in Kaluga, Voronezh, where his father was transferred. In Voronezh, in the fourth grade, he started playing hockey, there graduated from high school. Alexei Dyumin worked in military structures. In 1994 Alexey graduated from the Voronezh Higher Military Engineering School of Radio Electronics (VVIURE). He was assigned to the Moscow Military District, in a small military unit which was engaged in countering enemy reconnaissance technical means. In 1995 he entered service in the FSO of Russia, in the management of the presidential communications at the headquarters of protection. In the service office of President Security (FSO unit), Dyumin was a security officer in the Security Service of the President during the previous presidency of Vladimir Putin, from 09 August 1999.

In 2007, when Viktor Zubkov was appointed the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Dyumin became the head of his security. He was also adjutant of Putin and goalkeeper in the Kremlin strongman’s own ice hockey club. The duties of the adjutant were very broad — everything from issues of welfare of the protected person to ensurint their safety.

In the space of at most seven months, Colonel Dyumin, one of the deputy heads of the SBP, moved to the Defence Ministry and took a senior role in the Ground Forces (despite not having been a career soldier).

He had a command position in GRU special forces, and then up to to deputy ministerial rank. In the process, he also went from colonel to major general to (two-star) Lt.General. Accounts of his promotion said that he was previously the head of the Special Operations Forces (SSO: Sily spetsial’nykh operatsii) — and the Spetsnaz are a GRU asset. According to some accounts, he had a brief stint as deputy head of GRU military intelligence.

In 2014 Dyumin headed the special operations Forces — closed unit involved in the operation on the accession of Crimea to Russia. During the annexation of Crimea, Dyumin was on the Peninsula of the Ministry of defense of the Russian Federation. However, in response to the question, not for the Crimea he received the title of Hero of Russia, Dyumin said, «No comment. For specialized assignments within the unit».

«Kommersant» with reference to a source close to the General staff, reported that Dyumin allegedly developed and conducted an operation on evacuation to Russia of disgraced Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych out of his country and into Russia as a pro-western revolution gripped Kiev in the night of 23 February 2014. On successful completion it was reported to President Vladimir Putin, who praised the actions of subordinates Dyumin.

Dyumin denied his participation in the evacuation of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014, which was reported by the press. «I don’t understand where that’s coming from. Where are the legends? Who creates these myths? This gentleman after the beginning of the known events in Ukraine I never saw. And what are you asking me, I can’t even comment on because it’s not like that,» said Dyumin in an interview to the special correspondent of the newspaper «Kommersant» Andrei Kolesnikov. Putin awarded him the Hero of Russia honor for courage, and he was promoted to deputy head of infantry with the rank of General. In 2015 he was Chief of Staff of the Land Forces - First Deputy Commander of the Land Forces (where he replaced Sergey Istrakova ).

On 11 December 2015 he was promoted to Lieutenant General. On 24 December 2015 Dyumin was appointed Deputy Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu and became a member of the Collegium of the Ministry of Defence. In his capacity as Deputy Defence Minister, he was in charge of the department of construction, housing and property relations, the expert directorate and the Main Military Medical Directorate – in a word, things that are of great importance in civilian life as well. In this position Dyumin oversaw the military training. On January 29, 2016 he was handed a personal standard.

On 02 February 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the Governor of Tula region Vladimir Gruzdev and appointed acting head of the region Deputy defense Minister Alexei Dyumin. Tula and Tula Region is the nation’s armory. After Dyumin was handed the job of governor of Tula region, previously unknown details of his ‘courage’ were suddenly leaked to the media.

Dyumin’s sudden fast tracking to become governor of strategically important Tula was seen as a bid by Putin to give him political experience running a region ahead of another meteoric promotion. His rapid career from Colonel to Lieutenant General was owed to Putin, who had noticed the talented subordinate and moved him up the ladder. Famous TV host and a close former associate of Boris Berezovsky, Sergei Dorenko, named Alexei Dyumin a possible successor to Putin.