Sultan Sosnaliyev Explained

Soslan Sosnaliyev
Order:7th
Office:Minister of Defence of Abkhazia
Term Start:February 2005[1]
Term End:May 2007[2]
President:Sergei Bagapsh
Predecessor:Mukhamed Kilba
Successor:Mirab Kishmaria
Order2:2nd
Office2:Minister of Defence of Abkhazia
Term Start2:April 1993
Term End2:July 1996
Predecessor2:Vladimir Arshba
Successor2:Vladimir Mikanba
Birth Date:23 April 1942
Birth Place:Baksan, Kabardino-Balkar ASSR, Soviet Union
Death Place:Moscow, Russia

Sultan Aslambekovich Sosnaliyev (Russian: Султан Асламбекович Сосналиев; 23 April 1942 – 23 November 2008) was a Soviet Army officer of Circassian ethnicity who served as a commander of Abkhaz and North Caucasian forces during the War in Abkhazia and as the defence minister of Abkhazia in 1993–1996 and 2005–2007.

Early life

Sultan Sosnaliyev was born in Baksan in Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia, to Kabardin parents. He graduated from the Syzran Higher Military Aviation School and from the Zhukov Air and Space Defense Academy and served in the Soviet anti-aircraft forces for 29 years. He retired in 1990 in the rank of a colonel and worked in Kabardino-Balkaria's construction industry till 1992.

Role in the War in Abkhazia

Sosnaliyev became the head of the military department of the newly formed Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus. After the beginning of the War in Abkhazia he arrived to Abkhazia with the group of Kabardin volunteers through on 15 August 1992. He was appointed the head of the staff of the Gudauta-based State Committee of the Defence and was one of the planners of the victorious Battle of Gagra.

He was appointed the minister of defence in April 1993 and later awarded the rank of Major General. Sosnaliyev and Sergei Dbar planned the July and September Sukhumi offensives. On 24–25 March 1994 Sosnaliyev was in charge of the last operation of the war – capture of the village of Lata in the Kodori Valley.

Post-war life

Sosnaliyev resigned in July 1996 and returned to Kabardino-Balkaria. After Sergei Bagapsh had been elected the President of Abkhazia he offered the office of the minister of defence to Sosnaliyev as "reforms were desperately needed"[3] in the Abkhazian army. The latter agreed and served in the Abkhazian government as a minister of defence and a vice-premier till May 2007.

Honours and awards

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Official site of the president of Abkhazia, Полководец Султан Сосналиев (Commander Sultan Sosnaliyev)
  2. [REGNUM News Agency|Regnum.ru]
  3. [REGNUM News Agency|Regnum.ru]