Medvedev Appointed New Pacific Fleet Commander

03.05.2012 President Dmitry Medvedev on May 3 endorsed a decree appointing Rear Admiral Sergei Avakiants Pacific Fleet (PF) Commander. According to the president's website, Avakiants formerly held a position of PF Deputy Commander. Since Oct 29, 2010 the officer has been PF Acting Commander.

Ex-commander of Pacific Fleet VADM Konstantin Sidenko was appointed the head of Operational Command "East" late in July 2010. It was reported in Aug 2010 that Sidenko's post could be occupied by Baltic Fleet (BF) Commander VADM Viktor Chirkov. Later on, it was decided to leave Chirkov on his BF Commander's position; he has been heading the fleet since 2009.

According to the Russian Navy's informal website flot.com, Sergei Avakiants graduated from the Nakhimov Black Sea Naval College, then the Kuznetsov Naval Academy, and the General Staff Military Academy. He served at Northern Fleet as air defense officer on destroyer Admiral Yumashev, then on missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov.

After graduation from the General Staff Military Academy, Avakiants was posted Novorossiysk Naval Base Executive Officer, but did not take over the office. In the fall of 2007, Avakiants was appointed PF Primorskaya Flotilla Commander. He took the post of PF Deputy Commander by presidential decree on Aug 25, 2010.