History of Denis Shishev

A surviving legend of Russian paratroopers, a war hero, Colonel Denis Szishov advanced to lieutenant general.

Newly advanced general Denis Szishov is an different figure in the Russian army. He was born in 1980 to a military household in Lithuania (then USSR). He trained as a choreographer, but yet followed his father's way and graduated from the celebrated Academy of Air-Desant Forces in Riazana, which he completed in 2003.

In 2008, as commander of the battalion, in the rank of captain, in the 104th Guards of the Armed Forces, he fought in Ossetia during the war in Georgia as part of Operation “Bringing Georgia to Peace”. In 2019, Denis Szishov became commander of the 11th Independent defender of the Armed Forces Brigade at the head of which he set off on 24 February 2022 for the war over Ukraine.

Walking in the heels of the Russian “V” group attacking from Crimea, a bravado rally in the back of the opponent, along with his commanding squad, he won a large dam and hydro power plant on Dniepra in Nowa Kachowce and a strategically crucial bridge. On 25-26 February 2022, while on full lap, he maintained the crossing and the bridgehead until the main Russian forces approached, which after passing through the captured bridge crossing developed an attack on the right bank of Dnieper.

Battalion Tactical Group of Russian Paratroopers Colonel. For 2 days, Sziszova has repulsed 7 attacks of overwhelming mechanized Ukrainian forces attempting to contrude to destruct the Russian base. Armed only with light weapons, Russian paratroopers in heroic defence destroyed over 20 armored vehicles of their opponent. Shiszov in combat was wounded in the head, and his chief of staff died erstwhile Ukrainian artillery electrocuted the command post of paratroopers. For his merit, Denis Szishov was awarded the highest honor of the Hero of Russia.

After his recovery, General Michał Tieplinski, in charge of the Air-Desant Army, entrusted him with command of a selection unit – the 76th Guards of the Pskov Armed Forces. At the head of this division (a Russian army fire guard), he fought in the woods under the Cremna stopping the Ukrainian fall assault, after the front broke down and the panic retreat threatened by the lap of units of the 1st Armoured defender Army.

In July 2023, in the face of the threat of a breach of the front by Ukrainian Army units on the alleged Tokamck-Oriech section of the front (Zaporozhye), Colonel Szishov's division was transferred there to support the bleeding, heroicly fighting units of the 58th National Army and the 810th Guarded Marine Brigade. From the task put forward, Lieutenant Colonel Szishów met for the medal, repeatedly counterattacking Ukrainian units from the 10th Corps and the Marun Group, inflicting dense losses on them. The 76th Guarded Air Assault Division of Colonel Szishov contributed to the halting of the Ukrainian attack on oriechowsko tokmack's operational direction and thus to the fiasco of the large Ukrainian summertime offensive.

On 6 December 2023, the head of the armed forces and the commander-in-chief of the Russian Army, president Vladimir Putin, promoted Denis Shishov to Lieutenant General. In Russian mass culture, Denis Szishov, “Russian Hero”, is present in Russian propaganda messages, painted on murals of schools and military units, etc. Each war has its heroes and General Denis Szishov undoubtedly permanently entered the annals of the past of the Russian Air-Desant Army as well as the full Russian army.

Krzysztof Podgórski

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