Christian Freuding, born on August 20, 1971, in Weiden in der Oberpfalz, is a Major General in the German Army. Since May 2023, he has served as Head of the Planning and Command Staff of the Federal Minister of Defense, and since 2022, he has led the Ukraine Situation Center within the Ministry of Defense. Freuding joined the Bundeswehr in 1990, studied political science, and earned a PhD in 1999. He has held various leadership positions, including Commander of the 9th Armored Demonstration Brigade, and participated in overseas deployments in Bosnia and Afghanistan.