Category Archives: Military Leadership

More Appointments, Dismissals, Etc.

Posted on January 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

Yesterday’s decree on military appointments, dismissals, etc., is extremely long.  It’s part of the process of redistributing staff personnel from 6 into 4 MDs.  The Southern and Eastern MD staffs, in particular, get fleshed out by it.  The outline of the new MD staff structure becomes visible with these changes.  And the breadth and depth of the rotation and change in personnel pretty much assures it’ll take a while for the commands of the new MDs to operate smoothly.

There are other individual notable points in this list.  There’s now a Main Combat Training Directorate (GUBP or ГУБП) inside the Ground Troops, instead of a directorate.  Maybe this is part of replacing the Defense Ministry-level GUBP.  The MDs have their own troop training directorates . . . it’s interesting that the 3rd Air-Space (i.e. Aerospace) Defense Brigade is subordinate to the Baltic Fleet rather than the Western MD . . . a 49th Army has popped up in the Southern MD . . . Ryadovoy.ru says it’s headquartered in the former RVSN communications institute in Stavropol . . . Air Defense Chiefs renamed Chiefs of Air Defense Troops and Aviation.

Here’s what the 9 January decree does.

Appoint:

  • Captain 1st Rank Ildar Ferdinandovich Akhmerov, Deputy Commander, Primorskiy Mixed Forces Flotilla, Pacific Fleet.
  • General-Major Vladimir Vladimirovich Derkach, Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander, Space Troops, relieved of duty as Deputy Commander, Space Troops.
  • Colonel Sergey Borisovich Ryzhkov, Commander, 39th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade, Eastern MD.
  • General-Lieutenant Nikolay Vasilyevich Bogdanovskiy, Deputy CINC, Ground Troops, Chief, Main Combat Training Directorate, Ground Troops, relieved of duty as Commander, Leningrad MD.
  • Colonel Yuriy Aleksandrovich Popov, Commander, 3rd Air-Space Defense Brigade, Baltic Fleet.
  • General-Major Viktor Borisovich Astapov, Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander, 49th Army, relieved of duty as Deputy Commander, 41st Army.
  • General-Major Sergey Sergeyevich Bashkin, Chief, Air Defense Troops and Aviation, Southern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Air Defense Troops, North Caucasus MD.
  • Captain 1st Rank Oleg Georgiyevich Gurinov, Chief, Naval Directorate, Southern MD.
  • Colonel Igor Vladimirovich Dashko, Chief of Reconnaissance, Deputy Chief of Staff for Reconnaissance, Southern MD, relieved of duty as Chief of Reconnaissance, Deputy Chief of Staff for Reconnaissance, North Caucasus MD.
  • Colonel Igor Mikhaylovich Yemelyanov, Chief, Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense (РХБЗ) Troops, Southern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops, North Caucasus MD.
  • Colonel Igor Gennadyevich Kovalenko, Deputy Chief of Staff, Southern MD.
  • General-Major Andrey Anatolyevich Kozlov, Chief, Railroad Troops Directorate, Southern MD, relieved of duty as Commander, 7th Territorial Command, Railroad Troops.
  • General-Major Andrey Nikolayevich Kolesov, Chief, Organization-Mobilization Directorate, Deputy Chief of Staff for Organization-Mobilization Work, Southern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Organization-Mobilization Directorate, Deputy Chief of Staff for Organization-Mobilization Work, North Caucasus MD.
  • General-Major Sergey Vasilyevich Kuralenko, Commander, 49th Army, relieved of duty as Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander, 5th Army.
  • Colonel Aleksey Pavlovich Lemyakin, Chief, Material-Technical Support Planning and Coordination Directorate, Southern MD, relieved of duty as Chief of Rear Services, Deputy Commander for Rear Services,  2nd Army.
  • Colonel Oleg Gennadyevich Maltsev, Chief, Automotive Service, Southern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Automotive Service, North Caucasus MD.
  • Colonel Mikhail Yevgenyevich Mizintsev, Chief, Operational Directorate, Deputy Chief of Staff, Southern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Operational Directorate, Deputy Chief of Staff, North Caucasus MD.
  • Colonel Sergey Mikhaylovich Panevchik, Chief, Personnel Directorate, Southern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Personnel Directorate, North Caucasus MD.
  • General-Major Fraiz Fazlyakhmetovich Salyyev, Chief, Technical Support Directorate, Southern MD, relieved of duty as Chief of Staff, Armament, First Deputy Chief of Armaments, North Caucasus MD.
  • General-Major Vladimir Vladimirovich Samoylov, Deputy Commander, 49th Army.
  • General-Major Oleg Yuryevich Torgashev, Chief, Troop Training Directorate, Southern MD, relieved of duty as  Chief, Combat Training Directorate, Moscow MD.
  • Colonel Oleg Viktorovich Chernyavskiy, Chief, Armor Service, Southern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Armaments, Deputy Commander for Armaments, 5th Army.
  • General-Major Aleksandr Nikolayevich Shvetsov, Deputy Commander for Material-Technical Support, Southern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Rear Services, Deputy Commander for Rear Services, Leningrad MD.
  • Colonel Stepan Stepanovich Yaroshchuk, Chief, Missile Troops and Artillery, Southern MD.
  • Colonel Sergey Anatolyevich Bakaneyev, Chief, Missile Troops and Artillery, Eastern MD, relieved of duty as Commander, 39th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade, Far East MD.
  • Rear-Admiral Yuriy Yuryevich Berdnikov, Chief, Naval Directorate, Eastern MD, relieved of duty as Deputy Commander, Troops and Forces in the North-East.
  • Rear-Admiral Vladimir Nikolayevich Vdovenko, Deputy Commander, Troops and Forces in the North-East.
  • Colonel Andrey Aleksandrovich Volkov, Chief, Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops, Eastern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops, Siberian MD.
  • Colonel Vladimir Andreyevich Voropayev, Deputy Chief, Main Communications Directorate, RF Armed Forces, relieved of duty as Chief of Communications, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications, Volga-Ural MD.
  • Colonel Aleksandr Vladimirovich Glushchenko, Chief, Automotive Service, Eastern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Automotive Service, Far East MD.
  • General-Major Vladimir Vladimirovich Gorodnichiy, Deputy Commander for Material-Technical Support, Eastern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Armaments, Deputy Commander for Armaments, Siberian MD.
  • General-Major Aleksandr Vladimirovich Dvornikov, Deputy Commander, Eastern MD, relieved of duty as Commander, 5th Army.
  • Colonel Sergey Anatolyevich Dolotin, Deputy Commander for Personnel Work, Chief, Personnel Work Directorate, Eastern MD, relieved of duty as Deputy Commander for Socialization Work, Far East MD.
  • Colonel Sergey Romanovich Yeger, Chief, Railroad Troops Directorate, Eastern MD.
  • General-Major Sergey Aleksandrovich Zhmurin, Chief, Air Defense Troops and Aviation, Eastern MD, relieved of duty as Deputy Chief for Training and Scientific Work, Military Academy of Troop Air Defense, RF Armed Forces.
  • General-Major Andrey Nikolayevich Serdyukov, Commander, 5th Army, relieved of duty as Deputy Commander, 5th Army.
  • General-Major Konstantin Georgiyevich Kastornov, Deputy Commander, 5th Army, relieved of duty as Commander, 70th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade.
  • Captain 1st Rank Valeriya Pavlovich Kostin, Chief, Personnel Directorate, Eastern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Personnel Directorate, Pacific Fleet.
  • Colonel Aleksey Vladimirovich Ostrovskiy, Commander, 70th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade.
  • General-Major Aleksandr Vasilyevich Peryazev, Chief, Troop Training Directorate, Eastern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Combat Training Directorate, Far East MD.
  • Colonel Pavel Vladimirovich Petrunin, Chief of Reconnaissance, Deputy Chief of Staff for Reconnaissance, Eastern MD.
  • Colonel Yevgeniy Valentinovich Poplavskiy, Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander, 29th Army, relieved of duty as Chief, Operational Directorate, Deputy Chief of Staff, Volga-Ural MD.
  • General-Major Aleksandr Vladimirovich Romanchuk, Commander, 29th Army, relieved of duty as Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander, 41st Army.
  • Colonel Vladimir Petrovich Ryzhkovich, Chief, Technical Support Directorate, Eastern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Armaments, Deputy Commander for Armaments, 36th Army.
  • Colonel Konstantin Yevgenyevich Smeshko, Chief, Engineering Troops, Eastern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Engineering Troops, Far East MD.
  • Colonel Valeriy Mikhaylovich Timoshenko, Chief, Armor Service, Eastern MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Armor Service, Far East MD.
  • Colonel Vladimir Viktorovich Trishunkin, Chief, Material-Technical Support Planning and Coordination Directorate, Eastern MD, relieved of duty as Chief of Staff, First Deputy Chief of Rear Services, Far East MD.
  • General-Major Sergey Valeryevich Chebotarev, Deputy Commander, 29th Army, relieved of duty as Commander, 7th Military Base, North Caucasus MD.
  • Colonel Aleksey Yuryevich Avdeyev, Deputy Commander, 41st Army, relieved of duty as Chief, Organization-Mobilization Directorate, Deputy Chief of Staff for Organization-Mobilization Work, Siberian MD.
  • General-Major Vladimir Ivanovich Ashitok, Chief, Troop Training Directorate, Central MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Combat Training Directorate, Volga-Ural MD.
  • Colonel Oleg Anatolyevich Bragin, Chief, Railroad Troops Directorate, Central MD, relieved of duty as Commander, 5th Territorial Command, Railroad Troops.
  • Colonel Andrey Zaurovich Gagloyev, Chief, Engineering Troops, Central MD.
  • Colonel Aleksandr Albertovich Glushchenko, Chief, Missile Troops and Artillery, Central MD.
  • Colonel Oleg Vitalyevich Demyanenko, Chief of Communications, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications, Central MD.
  • General-Major Sergey Yuryevich Istrakov, Deputy Commander, Central MD, relieved of duty as Deputy Commander, Siberian MD.
  • Colonel Oleg Valeryevich Karpov, Chief, Rear Support Directorate, Central MD.
  • Colonel Aleksandr Nikolayevich Logachev, Chief, Armor Service, Central MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Armor Service, Volga-Ural MD.
  • General-Major Aleksandr Ivanovich Nesterov, Chief, Personnel Directorate, Central MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Personnel Directorate, Volga-Ural MD.
  • Colonel Oleg Olegovich Polguyev, Chief of Reconnaissance, Deputy Chief of Staff for Reconnaissance, Central MD.
  • General-Major Yuriy Aleksandrovich Svintsov, Deputy Commander for Material-Technical Support, Central MD, relieved of duty as Chief of Rear Services, Deputy Commander for Rear Services, Volga-Ural MD.
  • Colonel Mikhail Vyacheslavovich Smyslov, Deputy Commander for Personnel Work, Chief, Personnel Work Directorate, Central MD, relieved of duty as Deputy Commander for Socialization Work, Siberian MD.
  • Colonel Igor Petrovich Sokorenko, Chief, Operational Directorate, Deputy Chief of Staff, Central MD.
  • Colonel Yevgeniy Nikolayevich Tuchkov, Chief, Air Defense Troops and Aviation, Central MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Air Defense Troops, Volga-Ural MD.
  • General-Major Sergey Viktorovich Khokh, Chief, Technical Support Directorate, Central MD, relieved of duty as Chief, Armaments, Deputy Commander for Armaments, 2nd Army.
  • General-Major Eduard Anatolyevich Cherkasov, Chief, Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops, Central MD, relieved of duty as Deputy Chief of Armaments, Ground Troops.
  • General-Major Sergey Anatolyevich Chuvakin, Deputy Chief of Staff, Central MD, relieved of duty as Deputy Chief of Staff, Volga-Ural MD.
  • Colonel Leonid Vladimirovich Chumakov, Chief, Material-Technical Support Planning and Coordination Directorate, Central MD, relieved of duty as Chief of Staff of Rear Services, First Deputy Chief of Rear Services, Volga-Ural MD.

Relieve of duty:

  • Colonel Vadim Vladimirovich Karpovich, Deputy Chief, Missile Troops and Artillery, RF Armed Forces.
  • Colonel Sergey Vladimirovich Bibik, Chief, Armor Service, Armaments Directorate, Moscow MD.
  • Colonel Andrey Aleksandrovich Mityushkin, Chief, Rear Services, Deputy Commander for Rear Services, Moscow MD.
  • Colonel Vladimir Levontyevich Zharov, Deputy Commander for Socialization Work, Moscow MD.
  • Colonel Stepan Aleksandrovich Vorontsov, Chief of Rear Services, Deputy Commander for Rear Services, 41st Army.
  • Colonel Viktor Viktorovich Tarayev, Chief, Armaments, Deputy Commander for Armaments, 41st Army.
  • Colonel Zabit Sabirovich Kheirbekov, Chief, Armaments, Deputy Commander for Armaments, 35th Army.

Relieve of duty and dismiss from military service:

  • General-Major Mikhail Gennadyevich Krasnov, Chief, Serpukhov Branch, Military Academy of the RVSN.
  • General-Major Sergey Leonidovich Melnikov, Chief, Economic, Finance and Accounting Directorate, RF Federal Service of Special Construction.
  • General-Lieutenant Aleksey Nikolayevich Nemkov, First Deputy Director, Federal Agency of Special Construction.

Dismiss from military service:

  • General-Major Igor Alekseyevich Fedotov.
  • General-Major Yuriy Alekseyevich Gusev.
  • General-Major Aleksandr Grigoryevich Bondarenko.
  • General-Major Andrey Stepanovich Konyukhov.

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Posted in Command and Control, Force Structure, Military Leadership, Officer Corps, Serdyukov's Reforms

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New, Younger Face of the RVSN

Posted on January 3, 2011 | Leave a comment

The RVSN’s spokesman told ITAR-TASS today that his branch is entering 2011 with a completely new high command, and he gave some figures on a general youth movement in the RVSN:

“In 2010, the RVSN commander, all his deputies, missile army and division commanders were replaced.”

“The tendency toward rejuvenating command cadres was appropriate for the RVSN.  In the last three years, the average age of division commanders fell from 46 to 44 years, and regiment commanders from 40 to 38.  Over this period, 92 percent of regiment commanders were newly appointed.  Promising officers, who’ve gone through essential training and have the corresponding education, knowledge, and experience in leading military collectives, were appointed to leadership posts.”

“Officers of 61 nationalities serve in regiments and divisions, 98 percent of them have higher education and are professionals in their business.  The average age of officer personnel is less than 33, and 45 percent of officers are less than 30.”

This report basically sums the result of several years of winnowing the officer corps under Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov.  Recall that he directed the officer corps to be transformed from a top-heavy, “bloated egg” into a pyramid with many fewer generals, colonels, lieutenant colonels, and majors.  Essentially all officers, including those in the RVSN, had to undergo a re-qualification [аттестация] process in which their service records were reviewed to see if they were fit to continue serving.  Serdyukov has also shown a tendency to send more officers into retirement immediately upon reaching the stipulated legal age limit.

Yes, we are in the throes of Russia’s holiday season and news is hard to come by.

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Posted in Command and Control, Military Leadership, Officer Corps, RVSN, Serdyukov's Reforms

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It’s Not Corruption

Posted on December 30, 2010 | 2 comments

In a very unusual step yesterday, Mil.ru published an explicit denial that recent cadre changes have any connection to corruption.  The possibility of a link between high-ranking personnel dismissals and corruption cases has been the subject of some speculation.

The press release says the Defense Ministry is devoting great attention to anticorruption efforts, and talking openly about cases like Gaydukov’s.  But it denies that any other [read Verkhovtsev’s] recent dismissal is connected to this.

It maintains high-ranking officers are being dismissed for the usual reasons — age, health, and their own request.  It adds that they have many years of worthy service behind them.

As far as other moves go, it says “organizational-personnel measures” [i.e. orgshtat or TO&E changes] have caused some officers to be relieved of their duties or be assigned to new ones.

The Defense Ministry “doth protest too much” perhaps.  It might not want Congress asking questions about where U.S. Cooperative Threat Reduction money has gone.  At any rate, it’s uncommon for the Defense Ministry to take offense, and react so immediately to media speculation.

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Posted in Crime and Corruption, Military Leadership, Officer Corps, RVSN

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Shamanov Addendum

Posted on December 28, 2010 | Leave a comment

Komsomolskaya pravda’s Viktor Baranets spoke with VDV Commander Shamanov by phone yesterday.  Asked how he’s feeling, Shamanov said:

“Normal.  I’m already walking without crutches and a cane.  However, of course, there are still problems with the ulnar joint of my right hand and my left hip.”

Asked when he’ll return to duty, he said:

“I think rehabilitation will take 4-6 months.  But I’ll most likely do part of it while on duty.  My condition, thank God, allows it.”

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Posted in Military Leadership, VDV

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Shamanov Leaves Hospital

Posted on December 27, 2010 | Leave a comment

VDV Commander, General-Lieutenant Vladimir Shamanov was discharged from the Burdenko Main Military Clinical Hospital this morning, nearly two months after his BMW-525 was hit by a truck near Tula on 30 October. 

Shamanov’s spokesman said he’s already held his first staff meeting, and participated in a commemoration of the 102nd anniversary of VDV founder Margelov’s birth.  He called Shamanov’s condition normal following the accident and more than one surgery, according to ITAR-TASS.  Shamanov had several hours of surgery on his hip on 1 November. 

The spokesman said it’s completely possible Shamanov might return to duty earlier than his doctors have directed.  He said Shamanov completed his hospital rehabilitation, will take routine medical leave, and continue rehabilitation as an outpatient.

The acting commander of the VDV’s 106th Airborne Division in Tula, Colonel Aleksey Naumets, even more severely injured in the crash, transferred from intensive care to a general ward yesterday.  A source told RIA Novosti that Naumets has regular visits from fellow servicemen, and is interested in what’s going on in the division, but it’s still hard to say when he might be discharged.

A preliminary hearing in the criminal case against Dovlatsho Elbigiyev, the driver accused of hitting Shamanov’s car, will take place Wednesday in Tula’s Zarechenskiy Rayon Court.

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Posted in Military Leadership, VDV

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More Cadre Changes

Posted on December 26, 2010 | Leave a comment

As part of fairly wholesale turnover in command personnel, on 24 December, Kremlin.ru published two more presidential decrees with changes in a series of military posts. 

Commanders at four first-rank air bases (Budennovsk, Orenburg,  Shaykovka, and Belaya) are relieved of duty.  12th GUMO three-star Verkhovstev is replaced by a colonel who commanded a missile regiment just five years ago.  And there’s what sounds like a change at a national nuclear weapons storage site.  General-Colonel Gerasimov officially becomes a Deputy Chief of the General Staff.  And there’s more unwinding of personnel from former MDs.

Relieve of current duties:

  • Colonel Dmitriy Anatolyevich Voloshin, Commander, 6956th Air Base (1st rank).
  • Colonel Oleg Vladimirovich Makovetskiy, Commander, 6971st Air Base (1st rank).
  • Colonel Andrey Nikolayevich Medvedkov, Deputy Chief of Armaments, Air Forces.
  • Colonel Aleksandr Viktorovich Tsylev, Commander, 6951st Guards Aviation Base (1st rank).
  • Colonel Villington Vladimirovich Tsyrengarmayev, Commander, 6953rd Guards Aviation Base (1st rank).

Relieve of current duties and dismiss:

  • General-Colonel Vladimir Nikolayevich Verkhovtsev, Chief, 12th Main Directorate, Defense Ministry.
  • General-Major Andrey Yuryevich Glinskiy, Chief, Missile Troops and Artillery, Far East MD.
  • General-Major Anatoliy Yuryevich Razmakhnin, Chief, Personnel Directorate, Far East MD.

Appoint:

  • General-Colonel Valeriy Vasilyevich Gerasimov, Deputy Chief, General Staff, relieved of duty as Commander, Moscow MD.
  • Colonel Yuriy Grigoryevich Sych, Chief, 12th Main Directorate, Defense Ministry.

Dismiss from military service:

  • General-Major Aleksandr Anatolyevich Kukushkin.
  • General-Major of Justice Vladimir Polikarpovich Sviderskiy.

* * *

Appoint:

  • General-Major Sergey Valeryevich Kostarev, Chief, Military Communications Academy, relieve of duty as Chief of Communications, Deputy Chief of Staff, Siberian MD.
  • General-Major Vladimir Anatolyevich Fedorov, Chief, 1201st Facility “S” – Regional Nuclear Security Center, relieve of duty as Chief, 957th Facility “S” – Regional Nuclear Security Center.

Relieve of current duties:

  • Colonel Aleksey Alekseyevich Ivannikov, Chief, Armor Service, Siberian MD.
  • Colonel Vladimir Vladimirovich Morev, Chief of Inspections, Personnel Inspectorate, Defense Ministry.
  • Captain First Rank Aleksandr Veniaminovich Pepin, Chief of Inspections, Personnel Inspectorate, Defense Ministry.

Dismiss from military service:

  • General-Major Nikolay Vladimirovich Gorchakov.
  • General-Major Leonid Eduardovich Tishkevich.

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Posted in Air Forces, Command and Control, Military Leadership, Officer Corps

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Southern MD and Black Sea Fleet

Posted on December 21, 2010 | Leave a comment

BSF Commander Vladimir Korolev told IA Rosbalt today he thinks resubordinating the BSF to the Southern MD will allow for resolving a large number of missions:

“The South-Western Axis which existed in Soviet times allowed us to coordinate the efforts of various services and troop branches.  This experience is extremely opportune today.”

Korolev acknowledged that military reform may progress painfully:

“Fundamental changes in any structure aren’t coped with easily, naturally, they can’t proceed painlessly in an organism as complex as the fleet.  The strategic command isn’t swallowing the fleet, the BSF will become an integral part of it with its specific sphere of missions.  Adjusting the synchronization of the work of structures, processes, mutual adaptation, delineation of authorities — all this is not simple at all, but it’s very important because such large-scale changes are happening for the first time in the history of our Armed Forces.  But we have to go for this in order for the fleet to develop, to get stronger in accordance with modern requirements.”

He called ‘synergistic cooperation’ the main benefit of establishing the common command uniting the fleet and army:

“The fleet, aviation, and ground units won’t compete among themselves, but organically supplement and support each other.  The events of August 2008 showed how important it is to have a powerful grouping of varied forces which have to act according to a single plan, dispose of an entire arsenal of forces and means, including modern communications systems, on the Southern, as well as on any other axis.”

Rosbalt said the BSF and Caspian Flotilla will transform into the Operational Command of Naval Forces (OKMS or ОКМС) within the Southern MD.

Now it seems Korolev’s putting a happy face on this; it won’t be easy.  Establishing real unified commands is just as hard as it is necessary.  Like it or not, the BSF is getting swallowed and subordinated.  It will operate according to plans made largely by green uniforms in Rostov-na-Donu.

If true, what Rosbalt says about the naval ‘Operational Command’ is very significant.  Remember the much-ballyhooed shift to a three-tier command structure?  The tiers are military district, operational command, and brigade.  The name sounds like the fleet’s being reduced from equal of the MD to equivalent of an army, another operational-level command.  Quite a come down.

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Posted in Command and Control, Force Structure, Ground Troops, Military Leadership, Navy, Serdyukov's Reforms

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Refusenik Accountants

Posted on December 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

This morning Argumenty.ru reports that Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov can’t find a new deputy minister for finance-economic work to replace Vera Chistova who left to head the Moscow city finance department on 8 November.  

A Defense Ministry source tells Argumenty.ru, “about 10 offers have been made, but all candidates declined.”

A highly-placed source in the Defense Ministry’s financial directorate says the absence of a deputy minister to answer for financial issues is already creating a number of problems in the ministry’s work:

“A number of contracts for construction of housing for dismissed officers have been broken, draft orders for next year for financial incentives for serving officers have been frozen.  And there’s simply no one to sign the certification of budget execution for this year for the country’s highest leadership.  I simply can’t recall such disorder in my 30 years of service.”

The source says Defense Minister Serdyukov’s report to the President on the fulfillment of orders to provide apartments to servicemen has also been postponed for an undetermined period.

Leaving to work for the new Moscow mayor seemed like a good opportunity for Chistova.  Or did she figure this was an opportune time to escape some blame for problems in the military’s budget? 

Chistova’s predecessor Lyubov Kudelina served for a long time, but left in early 2009 because, according to Viktor Litovkin’s source, she objected to the Defense Ministry pressing some officers to resign short of receiving their severance benefits, and because Serdyukov refused to ask for extra money to pay for military reform.

It seems odd that someone as well-connected in government finance as Serdyukov can’t find a deputy for this.  It would seem he has cronies already brought into the Defense Ministry that he could just order to take the post.  Maybe the refusenik accountants know it’s a bad place to be right now.

We should also recall that Serdyukov was brought to the Defense Ministry in early 2007 reportedly for the express purpose of bringing financial order to the armed forces.

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Posted in Military Housing, Military Leadership, Rear Services, Serdyukov's Reforms

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GUBP Retirees Against Reform

Posted on December 19, 2010 | 1 comment

 A belated post-script to the Colonel Krasov, Seltsy, SDR flare-up against Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov and his reforms . . . .

On the first of this month, Life.ru reported that officers of the now-disbanded Main Directorate of Combat Training and Troop Service (ГУБП or GUBP for short) established a public organization to oppose military reform.

The organizing assembly occurred right after the directorate furled its standard (marking the unit’s dissolution) on 26 November.  Life.ru says 60 men attended.  This new, as yet unnamed organization is apparently seeking official registration.  It expects support from the LDPR faction in the Duma, and from large veterans organizations that have come out against reform.

Its executive secretary, Andrey Serdyuk, said:

“Ill-conceived reform has left the Russian Army without a central combat training methodology – that is, now no one knows what and how we teach soldiers and officers on the battlefield.  Nevertheless, we intend to conduct meetings and demonstrations like our colleagues from the Union of Airborne Troops.  We plan to achieve our goals in three ways – media appearances, organizing public monitoring over the course of reform, and cooperation with public veterans’ organizations.”

Retirees will be the backbone of this organization.  It won’t accept serving military men out of concern for their welfare.

A former chief of the main directorate, General-Colonel Aleksandr Skorodumov will head the group.  He retired in late 2004 after complaining publicly about personnel decisions and reorganizations that look minor compared with Serdyukov’s tenure.  He created a mini-scandal by saying the army had collapsed at that time.

Viktor Ozerov – Chairman of Federation Council’s Defense Committee and an uncritical functionary – admitted:

“There was and undoubtedly will be resistance to reform.  Remember when the General Staff apparatus was cut, how many dissatisfied people there were:  people occupied specific duties, had pay, and then they’re deprived of all this.  But in any instance, there are people standing behind every such decision and their legal rights should be guaranteed upon dismissal.”

Ozerov also said responsibility for combat training will go to the individual services and branches, and inter-service training will be supervised by the military districts / unified strategic commands (OSKs).

Serdyukov himself told the Defense Ministry’s official Public Council on Friday that combat training will be the purview of services, armies, and brigades, and operational training will be under the Genshtab, MDs, and brigades (but apparently not armies?).

The GUBP’s fate was decided in June and sealed in September.  See Moskovskiy komsomolets, Argumenty.ru, and Gazeta.ru for more.  They claim former Moscow MD Commander, General-Colonel Valeriy Gerasimov – newly retooled as a deputy chief of the General Staff – will oversee inter-service training for the Genshtab.  And, by 1 February, a new Directorate of Troop Service and Military Service Security will stand up.  This will actually be a new / old directorate.  It existed several years ago and supervised safety issues, and grappled with crime and dedovshchina among the troops. 

MK presented two opposing opinions on GUBP’s fate. 

Leonid Ivashov said:

“The most experienced officers and generals serve in the GUBP, they develop and monitor combat training.  The Genshtab has several other functions – strategic ones.  No one there will take evaluation trips to far-off garrisons.  Especially since the Genstab’s combat training directorate will be a very truncated version.  Its elimination means our troops won’t be prepared for combat actions.

A Genshtab source gave this view:

“This is simply the latest course of reform which we have going on.  The information about the GUBP’s elimination appeared long ago.  The directorate has a highly inflated number of personnel, and its work has been evaluated as, to put it mildly, ineffective.  No new methods, no training ground equipment, no simulators in recent decades.

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Posted in Command and Control, Military Leadership, Serdyukov's Reforms, Training and Exercises

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More Military Personnel Decrees

Posted on December 10, 2010 | 1 comment

Kremlin.ru published four more decrees from President Medvedev on military personnel changes today. 

  • General-Lieutenant Studenikin’s removal is surprising.  He’s had some good jobs, and he’s not necessarily too old to serve in another post. 
  • Dismissed General-Colonel Tkachev commanded Baluyevskiy’s experimental Eastern Regional Command, the latest forerunner of today’s four OSKs.
  • There’s a change as chief of staff in the federal chemical weapons storage directorate.
  • That bastard child of the armed forces may be reorganizing – it sounds as if there may be a new Main Directorate of Railroad Troops, presumably it would be part of Bulgakov’s MTO empire.
  • More staff officers from the MDs relieved and dismissed.  Former 58th Army commander Sobolev is dismissed.
  • There’s even a change in one you don’t hear about every day (or even every decade) – the Special Service of Strategic Communications of the RF President.
  • Finally, the changes in the new MDs are getting squared away – commanders and first deputy commanders in the new Southern, Eastern, and Central MDs roll over from their old positions.  Salyukov moves to the General Staff. 

Here are the details. 

Appointed:

  • Colonel Igor Nikolayevich Dylevskiy, Chief, 5th Directorate, Main Operations Directorate, General Staff.
  • Colonel Vladimir Leonidovich Suvorov, Professor, Military Art Faculty (Military Strategy), Military Academy of the General Staff, relieving him of duty as First Deputy Chief, 5th Directorate, Main Personnel Directorate, Defense Ministry.

Relieved of duties: 

  • General-Lieutenant Aleksandr Igorevich Studenikin, Deputy CINC, Ground Troops.
  • Colonel Andrey Gennadyevich Kharitonov, Chief of Staff for Armaments, First Deputy Chief of Armaments, Volga-Ural MD.

Relieved of duties and dismissed from military service:

  • General-Major Vladimir Pavlovich Yedryshev, Chief of Missile Troops and Artillery, Volga-Ural MD.
  • General-Major Nikolay Pavlovich Shebanov, Chief of Staff, First Deputy Chief, Federal Directorate for Safe Storage and Destruction of Chemical Weapons, Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Dismissed from military service:

  • General-Major Yuriy Mikhaylovich Rovchak.

* * *

Appointed:

  • Colonel Sergey Viktorovich Bindel, Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief, Federal Directorate for Safe Storage and Destruction of Chemical Weapons, Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Relieved and dismissed:

  • Rear-Admiral Aleksandr Nikolayevich Menyayelo, Deputy Chief, Main Directorate of Communications.

 Dismissed:

  • General-Lieutenant Andrey Ivanovich Grigoryev.
  • General-Major of Justice Viktor Anatolyevich Salatov.
  • General-Colonel Nikolay Fedorovich Tkachev.

* * *

Appointed:

  • Colonel Dmitriy Yuryevich Boyarskiy, Deputy Director, Department of Planning and Coordination of Material-Technical Support, Defense Ministry, and Chief, Operational-Planning Directorate.
  • General-Major Oleg Ivanovich Kosenkov, Chief, Main Directorate of Railroad Troops, relieved of duty as Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander, Railroad Troops.

Relieved and dismissed:

  • General-Major Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Bulanov, Special Service of Strategic Communications of the RF President.
  • General-Major Vladimir Nikolayevich Glinin, Chief, Combat Training Directorate, North Caucasus MD.

Dismissed:

  • General-Lieutenant Viktor Ivanovich Sobolev.

* * *

Appointed:

  • General-Lieutenant Aleksandr Viktorovich Galkin, Commander, Southern MD, relieved of duties as Commander, North Caucasus MD.
  • General-Major Nikolay Nikolayevich Pereslegin, Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander, Southern MD, relieved of duties as Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander, North Caucasus MD.
  • General-Colonel Oleg Leonidovich Salyukov, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, relieved of duties as Commander, Far East MD.
  • General-Lieutenant Anatoliy Alekseyevich Sidorov, Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander, Eastern MD, relieved of duties as Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander, Far East MD.
  • General-Lieutenant Sergey Vladimirovich Surovikin, Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander, Central MD, relieved of duties as Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander, Volga-Ural MD.
  • General-Lieutenant Vladimir Valentinovich Chirkin, Commander, Central MD, relieved of duties as Commander, Siberian MD.

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