Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces
Colonel General
Biography
Since 1983 - in active military service in the Armed Forces of the USSR.
In 1987 he graduated from the Omsk Higher Combined Arms Command School named after M.V. Frunze with a gold medal.
Since 1987 - commander of a motorized rifle platoon, commander of a motorized rifle company, chief of staff - deputy commander of a motorized rifle battalion.
In 1995 he graduated from the Military Academy named after M.V. Frunze with honors. Then he served as commander of a motorized rifle battalion, chief of staff - deputy commander of a motorized rifle regiment.
Since 1998 - commander of the 149th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 201st Motorized Rifle Division.
Since 1999 - Chief of Staff - Deputy Commander of the 201st Motorized Rifle Division.
Participant of the armed conflict on the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan, participant of the Second Chechen War, participant of the military operation in the Syrian Arab Republic.
In 2002 he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation with honors.
Since June 2002 - commander of the 34th motorized rifle division.
Since June 2004 - Commander of the 42nd Guards Motor Rifle Division.
Since 2005 - Deputy Commander, Chief of Staff, since April 2008 - Commander of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army.
From October 2008 to January 2010 - Head of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
From January to July 2010 - Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of the Volga-Urals Military District.
From July to December 2010 - Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of the Central Military District.
From December 2010 to April 2012 - Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of the Central Military District.
From April to October 2012 - head of the working group on the formation of the Military Police of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Since October 2012 - Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of the Eastern Military District.
From October 2013 to October 2017 - Commander of the Eastern Military District.
On December 8, 2017, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation for the courage and heroism shown in the performance of military duty in the Syrian Arab Republic.
He was awarded the Order of St. George IV degree, Courage, "For Military Merit" and a number of medals.
On Wednesday, perhaps the main military personnel intrigue of recent months was resolved. The army newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda reported that by decree of the President of the Russian Federation of November 22, Colonel-General Sergei Surovikin was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
This decree was not posted on the official website of the Kremlin. However, given the specifics of the printed edition, there is no doubt: the appointment of Surovikin really took place. It would seem that a worthy general was promoted through the ranks, what is unusual here? Moreover, many media outlets began talking about his promotion to a higher position back in mid-autumn.
Unusualness is not in Surovikin's career growth, but in the post that he took. The fact is that this general is a 100% ground soldier. Perhaps, for the first time in the history of the Russian and even the Soviet army, an "infantry" commander was put in charge of aviation. More precisely, under the command of Surovikin are now not only the Air Force of the country, but also the air defense, space and missile defense forces of Russia.
It is clear that such a seemingly paradoxical personnel decision was not taken by chance. When it comes to appointments at the highest command level of the Armed Forces, by definition there can be no accidents. Each candidate for nomination must be comprehensively discussed in various instances. And only then this candidacy is submitted for approval to the head of state.
Why did the choice fall on Sergei Surovikin? The answer, I think, is connected not only with his enviable military career, although it deserves special attention. At 51, the general managed to command a division, an army and a district, and worked in senior positions in the General Staff and the central apparatus of the Ministry of Defense. And not only with his brilliant education - Surovikin graduated from the combined arms command school and two academies, including the Academy of the General Staff.
In Syria, General Surovikin gained vast experience in controlling aviation in real combat conditions.
When he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces, the decisive factor, most likely, was the combat experience in controlling aviation in a real combat situation, acquired by Surovikin as commander of the Russian group of troops in Syria. By the way, de facto he still performs these complex duties.
Recall that the core of our military contingent in Syria is military aviation. Any major operation against terrorists is not complete without her participation. And the commander of the grouping is entirely responsible for planning and conducting this operation.
The same applies to combat operations in which other types and types of troops participate. All their combat work is also coordinated by the commander.
That is, we are talking about the management of entire interspecific groupings of troops. Surovikin has been doing this kind of work in Syria in recent months. The results of this work are well known - with the support of our Aerospace Forces, the Syrian government troops have practically liberated the country's territory from terrorists.
As for the commander himself, according to many experts, he gained vast experience in controlling aviation in real combat conditions in Syria.
Not all flight generals can boast of such command skills today. So the appointment of Sergei Surovikin as Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces looks quite logical.
General Surovikin knows how to find an approach to his subordinates - one of his deputies shot himself right in his office, another subordinate complained about the scuffle on his part.
Nevertheless, Surovikin is expected to head the Aerospace Forces (VKS) from October. At the same time, the general never in his life sat at the helm of an aircraft. What will his subordinates think about this?
The commander of the Russian grouping in Syria, 50-year-old Colonel General Sergei Surovikin, will head the Aerospace Forces from October instead of Viktor Bondarev, who is leaving for the Federation Council, sources in the military department told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
According to sources, this information has already been brought to the attention of the leadership of the VKS.
"Land travelers" in aviation are called "boots"
Among military pilots, the message about the possible appointment of Surovikin will be perceived with extreme irritation, said a senior general in the reserve air force.
“Surovikin never flew himself in his life, all his life he wore green shoulder straps, which people with blue shoulder straps despise. He did not command a single branch of the troops introduced into the VKS, and did not even stand next to them for the entire time of his service. I did not study according to the profile of any of the four former branches of the Armed Forces, now introduced into the VKS. For the Air Force to be led by a man from the motorized infantry? This has never happened before,” the source said. - Land travelers in aviation are called "boots". Subordinates, of course, will carry out all the orders of Surovikin, but on the sly they will despise him.
A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, the former Deputy Air Force Commander of the Baltic Military District of the USSR for Army Aviation, Major General Alexander Tsalko also perceives such an appointment without enthusiasm. “Not the best option, to be honest,” he told the VZGLYAD newspaper. “Maybe he is a good person. But in general, in a good way, it would be better for him to refuse this position. I would say that he does not understand in this matter. Do not sit in your sleigh - this is my position, ”he added.
“There are levels where the position is political, but the Minister of Defense and the Commander-in-Chief must be professionally trained. Or at least listen to the experts,” Tsalko stressed. - This is absolutely special training should be: a pilot, preferably front-line aviation. For example, an army commander, for example, who has passed the levels of command of a regiment and division, is a person who will more or less competently manage.
Tsalko adds that with such appointments, it happens that commanders have to be taught elementary things. “The level is very high. He needs to delve into literally everything - documents regulating flight work, combat training, life. So many features that he simply will not enter, ”the pilot explained.
In this regard, Tsalko noted: "The problem is that the combined arms commander believes that with the appointment to the position he receives certain knowledge." Recall that the command staff of such branches as the Navy, Airborne Forces and VKS (Air Force), as a rule, is trained in specialized, rather than combined arms military universities.
“During the Zapad-81 exercises, the late General Valentin Varennikov twice removed me from the post of regiment commander because I did not allow the crew to fly in the fog. There are plenty of such cases when they press incompetently. Sometimes people even die because of this incompetence. And such a commander-in-chief will have a problem. Will he be able to obey his specialized deputies or not? I'm afraid not always,
the general complained. Tsalko noted that if we take army aviation, which was repeatedly transferred from the Air Force to the ground forces and vice versa, then "the paradox is that even some pilots began to incompetently command army aviation."
“Military people are forced people. Be patient where you go. What will they show him, a cookie in his pocket? Commands will be executed. If there are bad commands, they will evade them,” he explained.
The general is sure that few people in the Aerospace Forces will be enthusiastic about Surovikin's appointment: “It's not about flight ambition. The thing is, people don't understand.
A high-ranking source of the VZGLYAD newspaper in the Russian Air Force recalls that each type of troops and branch of the armed forces has its own professional language for orders and orders. It is with the help of this language that the generals set combat missions for their subordinates, and for tankers the setting of the task sounds fundamentally different than for sailors or pilots. The tank general simply does not know what words and concepts to issue this or that order for, say, an air squadron. If only for this reason, due to the appointment of General Surovikin, the Aerospace Forces can expect problems with command and control of forces.
The new commander-in-chief knows how to attack quickly
Whether this is a coincidence or not is not yet clear, but the appointment of Surovikin became known the next morning after the good news came from Syria - our troops were able to quickly break through the encirclement of militants, which on Tuesday got a platoon of the Russian military police in the province of Idlib. 29 Russian soldiers were released from the encirclement. It was General Surovikin who, by the way, was the creator of the Russian military police, managed to organize the deblockade operation with lightning speed.
But Tsalko is sure that success in Syria is a common merit, because Surovikin is not the first commander of the group, and he headed the group quite recently, in June. “This is not the person who came to Syria at the most difficult time and took on all this. He came to a knurled economy that works, ”the source emphasized.
In Syria, the commander has deputies for areas. “There is a deputy for aviation who gives him professional advice,” Tsalko stressed. According to him, the commander consults on how to act in each specific case. At the same time, Tsalko emphasized, the deputy for aviation is protected by the fact that he is subordinate in parallel to the commander-in-chief of the VKS - that is, in case of disagreement, he can turn to his own commander-in-chief.
The battle path began in the August coup
Sergei Surovikin was born in Novosibirsk in 1966. In 1987, he graduated from the Omsk Higher Command Military School with a gold medal, in 1995, with honors, from the Frunze Military Academy, and in 2002, also with honors, from the Academy of the General Staff.
For the first time, Surovikin got into the media field as a young captain. During the days of the August putsch of 1991, the battalion of the Taman division under his command was sent to patrol the center of Moscow, it was during the incident with the BMP of his battalion on the Garden Ring that three young people died. Surovikin was arrested, but the charges against him were eventually dropped, as he was only following orders. Moreover, on the personal orders of Yeltsin, he was promoted.
Since 1995, he was sent to Tajikistan, where he went from battalion commander to division chief of staff. In 2002 he was appointed commander of the 34th Simferopol motorized rifle division. In 2004 he fought in Chechnya, after which he commanded the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army. Then he was deputy chief of the General Staff and chief of staff of the Central Military District. Prior to his appointment in Syria, he led the MoD working group on the creation of a military police and then commanded the troops of the Eastern Military District.
Another noisy incident with Surovikin occurred during his studies at the Frunze Academy - in 1995 he was sentenced to a year of suspended imprisonment for carrying weapons and ammunition. However, it later turned out that he was framed, and the conviction was dropped. In 2004, Surovikin's subordinate, Lieutenant Colonel Viktor Tsibizov, accused the boss of beating him for political reasons, but then he himself withdrew the statement from the prosecutor's office.
In the same year, a tragic incident occurred - right in the office of divisional commander Surovikin, in his presence, his deputy for weapons, Colonel Andrey Shtakal, shot himself.
The new commander-in-chief will rely on specialized deputies
The editor-in-chief of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, Viktor Murakhovsky, suggests waiting for the official appointment of a new commander-in-chief. But in general, he does not see anything unusual in the fact that a combined arms general will lead a "foreign" branch of the military. “VKS is becoming an interspecific structure that includes many types of troops and works in the interests of all armed forces, and not only in the airspace,” Murakhovsky told the VZGLYAD newspaper.
The expert recalled that Surovikin previously commanded the Eastern Military District: “This is also one of the largest interspecific operational formations, which included the fleet, air army, air defense and all other branches of the military in the east of the country.”
Murakhovsky noted that the new commander-in-chief will command various types of troops, in particular the Long-Range Aviation and the Air Force itself, operational-tactical aviation, and he already has such experience. Indeed, the grouping in Syria includes air defense, ground forces and special operations forces.
Periodically appear off the coast of Syria and the forces of the Navy, which are operationally subordinate to the commander for the duration of the presence. Murakhovsky credits Surovikin with the success of the Russian aviation group in Syria.
The training of flight personnel and the use of aviation itself will be handled by individuals, Murakhovsky explained: for example, the deputy commander-in-chief for aviation. The use of various types of troops is planned by a special headquarters. “The Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces is now the person who organizes the training and combat use of interspecific weapons systems operating in air and space,” he explained. The expert does not expect any indignation on the part of the VKS pilots with the new appointment. “Those who are indignant in the army are leaving,” he summed up.
As you know, the military is conservative and does not like change. Similar rumors were heard in the officer corps in the spring of 2004, when Anatoly Serdyukov, a tax service official who was far from the army, was appointed Minister of Defense. Since his official biography included the position of director of a furniture store, many officers at first called him Taburetkin.
However, over time, Serdyukov got up to speed and even launched a large-scale reform. On the eve of the “five-day war”, almost no one remembered his furniture past. And the reforms he initiated forever changed the face of our army, and years later, even many of his critics admit that the reforms turned out to be correct in many respects.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces, Colonel General Sergei Surovikin, surprised observers with dark spots in his biography.
In the biography of Colonel General Sergei Surovikin there are facts that are incompatible with the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Military Space Forces (VKS). It is possible that he received the position for commanding a group of troops in Syria since 2015.
"It was under the command of Colonel-General Sergei Surovikin that the Russian grouping of troops in Syria, in cooperation with the Syrian armed forces, achieved maximum success in the fight against international terrorism, almost destroying its stronghold in this Arab republic," the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper wrote. Noting the appointment to the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces, a combat, and not an armchair, general, at the same time, many were perplexed how a general who did not have a flying education got to this position. And some even questioned the merits of Surovikin in Syria.
"To the achievements of this" shelled fighter ", one can add the most sensitive losses of Russia in Syria, for the entire time of the group's existence. The death of General Asapov and several colonels, the biggest losses of PMCs ... Surovikin could not organize a crossing across the Euphrates River in Deir ez-Zor , and block the Kurds. Therefore, it is his merit that the Kurds got the largest oil fields, and 75% of all Syrian oil. Surovikin is clearly not the one who successfully led the group in Syria "- this is what one of the readers wrote in a comment to an article about appointment of Surovikin.
Other dark spots in the general's biography also surfaced. Yes, such that you involuntarily wonder if the Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu made a terrible mistake by writing a presentation on Surovikin. Or did the concept of officer honor in the Russian army cease to exist under Shoigu? Not only is the military department constantly stealing, as the media have repeatedly written about. They also appoint such a general to responsible positions, which, apparently, has long been out of place in the army. And one wonders how he still serves in it, having unseemly "exploits" behind his back. Another would be in his place, having soiled the honor of his uniform, and could have shot himself.
"Battle way" Surovikin
In 1991, during the August coup, an armored personnel carrier of the then captain Surovikin, commander of the battalion of the Taman division, crushed three picketers, who later became the last Heroes of the Soviet Union. Thus, Captain Surovikin fulfilled the order to "establish constitutional order" issued by the leaders of the State Emergency Committee. Since then, Surovikin has not dreamed of bloody boys?
Apparently not, because, after serving 7 months in "Matrosskaya Tishina", Sergei Surovikin went on to serve further. And in 1995 he almost went to jail again. A student of the Frunze Military Academy, Major Surovikin, was accused of illegal arms trafficking. For which he received 1 year probation. Surovikin was detained while trying to hand over the gun. The major, of course, said that he was set up and had no idea about the true purpose of the transfer of weapons. Some baby talk for a whole major.
This story surfaced only in 2011, when Sergei Surovikin was creating the military police and preparing to head it. Chief Military Prosecutor Sergei Fridinsky sent a letter to the then Minister of Defense Anatoly Serdyukov.
The prosecutor pointed out in it that, according to Article 20 of the draft federal law "On the Military Police of the Armed Forces", there is a ban on serving in the military police of citizens who have or had a criminal record. That is, even with the conviction removed, Surovikin, according to the law, did not have the right to hold this position.
Naturally, Surovikin called this letter an attempt to denigrate his honor and dignity. And many years later he went to court, which removed his criminal record. However, Sergei Surovikin was not appointed to the post of chief military policeman.
Officer Surovikin apparently knew firsthand about honor and dignity. He crushed people, received a criminal record, and there - about the honor to talk. Moreover, in his biography by this time there were other cases that clearly demonstrate Surovikin's concepts of officer honor. Lieutenant Colonel Viktor Tsibizov turned to the military prosecutor's office with a complaint that he was beaten by the head of the division, Major General Sergei Surovikin. According to Tsibizov, this was due to the fact that he did not want to vote for the candidate who was unofficially supported by Surovikin.
The scene of the beating probably resembled the scene that can be observed in the barracks, when older soldiers mock the young ones. This is called "hazing relationship". Tsibizov said that Surovikin, his adjutant and deputy for educational work beat him on the chest and pushed him. Would Surovikin behave like this one on one? Or I would be afraid to get change. And the three of us for one - it's like a man. What honor can these officers speak of?
Sergei Surovikin reacted in his usual style. He didn’t hit anyone and he doesn’t know anything about the incident. And he promised ... to fire the colonel for allegedly being absent from work for a month. Tsibizov worked at the election headquarters during this time. In general, Surovikin reacted to the incident with dignity and honor.
Viktor Tsibizov took the statement from the prosecutor's office. Apparently, Sergei Surovikin put pressure on him, threatening him with dismissal and refusal to provide the lieutenant colonel with an apartment. He openly took advantage of his official position. A month later, another incident occurred. Lieutenant Colonel Andrey Shtakal committed suicide in front of his colleagues after the dressing of Sergei Surovikin. Sergey Surovikin, apparently, was not shy in expressions and the conversation was, to put it mildly, in a raised voice. It is possible that Surovikin cursed the colonel with a three-story obscenity, as some narrow-minded military commanders like to do. They do not have enough vocabulary when talking with a subordinate. There are no duels in the modern army, so the oruns feel their impunity. Shtakal pulled out a pistol and shot himself in the temple. It was not possible to save the lieutenant colonel, whom his colleagues called a decent and good person.
Sergei Surovikin did not suffer any punishment. Is he to blame for the lieutenant colonel's excessive emotionality? Here are just a charter of the internal service clearly defines how the chief should communicate with his subordinate in the army. And there is no elevated tone in the charter. However, like the mat, pushes and punches in the chest.
These two cases vividly characterize Sergyai Surovikin. There is a type of people who revel in their power over others. And the more they get it, the more they believe in their impunity. And the rest for them - dirt under their feet.
Fighting girlfriend
Oddly enough, but attention to the personality of Sergei Surovikin was attracted by his wife Anna. They say that she once promoted him before a possible appointment to the post of chief of the military police. Then, perhaps, she used newspapers, and now - telegram channels. Surovikin's wife is what you need - a business woman and a real fighting girlfriend. Why should she not pay for the laudatory pearls addressed to her husband? He probably doesn’t push her in the chest and doesn’t yell at her with obscenities.
Anna Surovikina does business together with Anastasia Misharina, daughter of the ex-governor of the Sverdlovsk region Alexander Misharin. They own the Argus group of companies. At one time, instead of 80 million rubles. paid for electricity only 6 million rubles. "Argus-Forest" was allocated 300 million rubles. from the city budget for the construction of a thermal power plant, which was supposed to work on its waste. In general, apparently, the Surovikins and Misharins "drank" to glory.
What interests could the chief of staff of the central military district, Sergei Surovikin, and the then governor Alexander Misharin have? Probably free labor. It's no secret that soldiers of military units are often used to carry out various kinds of work. This, of course, is prohibited. But out of friendship, the chief can always give the appropriate order to his subordinate commanders. Evil tongues could also suspect Surovikin of organizing drug trafficking to Yekaterinburg. At one time, Surovikin served as chief of staff of the 201st motorized rifle division, which was supposed to stop drug trafficking from Afghanistan to Russia and Europe. But why would Surovikin and Mesharin be involved in the supply of drugs to the Sverdlovsk region? She has enough of them.
Scandal with paratroopers
In 2015, Sergei Surovikin almost got into an international scandal. The Ministry of Defense, apparently, wanted to secretly transfer a group of paratroopers to Syria. But they refused and complained to the Human Rights Council under the President of Russia (HRC). The servicemen were to be transferred from the Eastern Military District to Novorossiysk, and from there to Syria. According to the paratroopers, they collected documents for the production of passports. The local military prosecutor's office refused to accept the application of the servicemen who came to it the day before the departure. I had to contact the HRC.
After that, the Ministry of Defense immediately stated that all military personnel were in their places and their movement was carried out only within the district. The scandal even had to be commented on by the presidential press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, who said that he knew nothing about the movements of contract soldiers. Who could lead this covert operation, if there was one after all? Only Sergei Surovikin, who worked on two fronts: the district and the group in Syria. The former Commander-in-Chief of the VKS, Viktor Bondarev, is now a member of the Federation Council from the Kirov Region. Apparently, he was not forgiven for falling rockets all the time. And who was appointed to take his place? Does the scandalous general have the right to hold such a position?
Under the current leadership of the Ministry of Defense, apparently, yes. Sergei Shoigu is probably not familiar with the moral and ethical standards adopted in society. And according to them, such a person as Sergei Surovikin should not only be appointed to the post of Commander-in-Chief, but should be driven out of the army. Because all his scandals are an example of what an officer of the Russian army should not be. Especially a general and a major military leader.
Colonel-General Sergei Surovikin, who until recently led the Russian grouping of troops in Syria, has been appointed commander-in-chief of the country's aerospace forces.
Surovikin was born on October 11, 1966 in Novosibirsk. 30 years ago he graduated from the Omsk Higher Combined Arms Command School with a gold medal. In 1995 he graduated with honors from the command faculty of the Military Academy. M. V. Frunze. And 15 years ago, also with honors - the Military Academy of the General Staff.
He fought in Afghanistan and Chechnya. Was wounded three times. He commanded a platoon, company, battalion, regiment, division, army. He was chief of staff and commander of the military district, chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff.
Since March 2017, he has led the Russian grouping of troops in Syria.
He was awarded the Orders of the Red Star, "For Military Merit", as well as three Orders of Courage, medals of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" I and II degrees, medals "For Courage", "For Military Merit", "For Distinction in the Protection of the State Border" and etc .
Married, has two daughters.
4 LITTLE KNOWN FACTS
1. In 1989, during the exercises, Surovikin stole a flaming infantry fighting vehicle with ammunition from a congestion of military personnel, and was awarded a medal.
2. On August 21, 1991 (during the GKChP), a military convoy headed from the Moscow region to the capital, commanded by Surovikin, was blocked by protesters. As a result of direct contact, three people died (the only victims of the putsch), and an infantry fighting vehicle was burned.
3. Surovikin was arrested, but in December 1991 the Moscow prosecutor's office dropped the criminal case against him and other servicemen "due to the absence of signs of a criminally punishable act." They say that Boris Yeltsin personally gave the order to release Captain Surovikin.
4. In October 2012, he was the only military man on the list of the 100 most authoritative people in Russia, compiled by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) and the Russian Reporter magazine.
WHY CHOOSE HIM?
Those in the know say that after the 2015 merger of the Air Force and the Space Defense Forces into one branch of the armed forces, "there was jealous friction between pilots and astronauts" over who should command the new formation. We decided to appoint an “outsider” to the main post in the Aerospace Forces. You will not catch him in professional sympathies for some subordinates and a cool attitude towards others. When selecting a candidate for the new Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces, other factors were also taken into account - his ability to restore order in subordinate units with an “iron fist” and an impressive track record (besides, Surovikin underwent an excellent “internship” in Syria, where military aviation was also under his command).