Toporov, Vladimir Mikhailovich

Born in the city of Baranavichy, Brest region of the Belorussian SSR . In the Soviet Army since 1965. He graduated from the Odessa Artillery School named after M.V. Frunze (1965-1968), the Military Academy named after M.V. Frunze (1972-1975), the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR named after K.E. Voroshilov (1982-1984).

He served in the Airborne Troops as commander of a platoon of anti-tank guns, since 1969 - as commander of an ATGM battery in the Far East. Since 1975 - deputy commander of a paratrooper regiment, since 1977 - commander of a paratrooper regiment. From 1979 - deputy commander, and since 1984 - commander of the 7th Guards Airborne Division in the Lithuanian SSR .

Since January 1987 - First Deputy Commander, since February 1988 - Commander of the 35th Combined Arms Army of the Far Eastern Military District. Since August 1989 - chief of staff - first deputy commander of the troops of the Far Eastern Military District . Since August 1991 - Commander of the Moscow Military District . Colonel General (10.24.1991).

He was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation by presidential decree of June 10, 1992 . He held this position with four defense ministers for 10 years, thereby setting an absolute record for being in senior positions in the Russian Ministry of Defense during the 1990s. He oversaw the combat training of the troops and the Ground Forces . Toporov was rarely mentioned even on the pages of the departmental military press, not to mention the civilian media. The latter covered only his visit to Moldova at the head of the Russian military delegation and his speech to the State Duma in 1998 with a report on the state of affairs in the Russian Army. The military rank of General of the Army was awarded by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of February 22, 1996 .

He became a defendant in a major corruption scandal in 1997: according to a number of Russian newspapers, he acquired at the expense of the Russian Ministry of Defense immediately three prestigious apartments in Moscow on Rublevskoye Shosse, having issued them respectively for himself, his father and sister. The results of the investigation were not reported. ^[one]

In 2002, dismissed and sent to the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. In 2006, he was dismissed from military service upon reaching the age limit for military service.

Lives in Moscow .

• Order of Military Merit
• Order of the Red Banner of Labor
• Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" II degree
• Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" III degree
• medals

• Military Encyclopedia in 8 vols. - M .: Military Publishing House, 1994-2002. - Volume 8. - S. 99.