Commander of Arctic marines in the room as General Staff Chief Gerasimov pays visit to war zone
Major General Roman Fyodorov from the 61st Naval Infantry Brigade in Sputnik, Murmansk region, was among the military leaders present when army general Valery Gerasimov this week visited occupied Ukrainian land.
Chief of the General Staff of Russia's armed forces Valery Gerasimov looked tense and uneasy as he flew with helicopter over occupied territory. The Mi-9AMT was marked with a "Z," one of the symbols of the war of aggression against Ukraine, a video from the Russian war ministry shows.
General Gerasimov visits Group Centre in occupied Ukraine. Video by Russian war ministry
Gerasimov had reason to be nervous. In the course of the more than 3,5 year long full-scale war, Ukrainian forces have shot down a big number of Russian helicopters.
When on the ground, Gerasimov was welcomed by Valery Solodchuk, the colonel general that is in charge of the so-called Group Centre.
The group is one of Russia's six formations that wage war in Ukraine.
A significant number of military leaders were present in the meeting that appeared to take place in an underground bunker.
"Our forces advance in practically all directions," the army general told the military men. Not all of them looked convinced. They all know the facts on ground, that there is no major advance of the Russian forces.
The military leaders in the room were not only from Group Center, but also from several of the other five groups. Among them Group Dnepr, the formation that includes forces from the Kola Peninsula.
The 61st Naval Infantry Brigade and the 80th Motorised Rifle Brigade have their home bases in the far northern Pechenga area, near Russia's border with Norway and Finland. Today, the two brigades are engaged in heavy fighting in occupied parts of the Kherson region, including the river delta of the Dnepr.
Roman Fyodorov is commander of the 61st Naval Infantry Brigade in Sputnik, Murmansk region. The major general himself has comprehensive battle experience from occupied lands.
In November 2023, he was awarded the order 'Hero of Russia' for alleged 'bravery.' According to the Russian war ministry, the unit commanded by Fyodorov 'killed more than 230 Ukrainian soldiers, and eliminated numerous tanks and armoured fighting vehicles.'
The 38-year-old military man has had a rapid career.
He served in the 61st Naval Infantry Brigade from 2008 to 2017 and then moved to Moscow to study at the Joint Forces Academy of the Armed Forces. In 2019, he was back in the Pechenga area where he became Chief of Staff of the 200th Motorised Rifle Brigade. In 2021 he became deputy commander of the brigade and the subsequent year - commander.
He took over the post from Denis Kurilo, the colonel that was killed outside Kharkiv in the early phase of the Russian full-scale invasion.
In October 2023, Fyodorov was appointed head commander of the 61st Naval Infantry Brigade.
In this week's bunker meeting, Major General Fyodorov was seated right behind Valery Gerasimov. Judging from the war ministry's video, he did not himself speak with the general staff chief.
