Vasily Mikhailovich Badanov (Russian: Васи́лий Миха́йлович Бада́нов; 14 December 1895 – 1 April 1971) was a Soviet military officer and general, best known for his leadership in the Tatsinskaya Raid (1942) and subsequent command of the 4th Tank Army (1943–1944).

Conscripted into the Imperial Russian Army in 1915 during World War I, he graduated from the Chuguyev Military School as a praporshchik in 1916, and fought as a platoon commander with the 493rd Klin Infantry Regiment on the Southwestern Front.

[1] From February 1921 he was chief of staff of a rifle brigade of the supreme commander's reserve, fighting in the suppression of anti-Soviet resistance in Belorussia.

After serving as commander and military commissar of the 1st Rifle Regiment of the OGPU Troops from December 1923, Badanov entered the Vystrel course in October 1926.

[3] From March 1942, he served as acting deputy commander of the 56th Army for tank forces, fighting in the battles on the approaches to Taganrog.

At the beginning of December, the corps took part in Operation Little Saturn, with Badanov leading it in the Tatsinskaya Raid into the German rear.

Badanov was promoted to lieutenant-general (a rank above major-general in the Soviet system) on 26 December 1942 and became the first recipient of the Order of Suvorov, second class, the same day.

[2] Badanov continued to command the 2nd Guards Tank Corps in Operation Gallop in the Donbas in January 1943, and the repulse of the German counteroffensive in the Third Battle of Kharkov in March 1943.