Mikhail Puzikov was born in the village of Gorodishche No. 1, Brasovo Vicinity, Bryansk Region, Russia on 21 November 1961.
    In 1980, he finished the Kalinin Suvorov Military School and joined the Kolomna Artillery Command School, graduating in 1984 with honours. Mikhail Puzikov occupied the positions of deputy battery leader, leader of training artillery platoon and battery, executive officer and deputy leader of a training section within a training artillery regiment.
    Having graduated with honours from the Belarusian Military Academy in 1998, he served as a senior officer, deputy chief of rocket forces and artillery of the 65th army corps, deputy chief of rocket forces and artillery of the North-Western Operational Command and chief of rocket forces and artillery of the Western Operational Command.
    In 2004, Mikhail Puzikov earned a degree at the Russian General Staff Academy and was appointed chief of rocket troops and artillery, Western Operational Command, Belarus Army. Then he served as first deputy chief of the Armed Forces' rocket troops and artillery with further promotion to chief of the General Staff directorate for rocket troops and artillery.
    On 4 December 2009, Mikhail Puzikov was appointed Deputy Minister of Defence for Personnel and Combat Training, Chief of the Main Directorate for Personnel, following a relevant President's decree.