Russian Navy Commander Promoted to Admiral

10.08.2012 Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Viktor Chirkov was promoted, reports business newspaper Vzglyad referring to the Kremlin press service. Except for Chirkov, Russian president Vladimir Putin awarded upper military ranks to a number of general officers including Russian Air Force Commander Viktor Bondarev.

By the presidential decree, Vice Admiral Viktor Chirkov was promoted to Admiral, and General Major Viktor Bondarev obtained the rank of General Lieutenant.

In addition, Russian Airspace Defense Force Commander General Lieutenant Oleg Ostapenko became General Colonel, and Russian Strategic Missile Force Commander General Lieutenant Sergei Karakayev was also promoted to General Colonel, reported the Kremlin press service.

Viktor V. Chirkov was born on Sept 8, 1959 in Alma-Ata. He started his naval service as torpedo officer at a Pacific Fleet (PF) frigate after graduation from the Makarov Pacific Naval College. Since 1987 he served as frigate commanding officer at Pacific Fleet; since 1990 through 1993 he held a post of large ASW ship commanding officer. He also served as ASW division deputy chief of staff, ASW division deputy commander, ASW division commander, deputy commander of Northeast task force, commander of PF Primorskaya flotilla. Viktor Chirkov was transferred to Baltic Fleet in Sept 2007 to the post of BF Deputy Commander. Chirkov is a graduate of the Kuznetsov Naval Academy and the Russian General Staff Military Academy. He was awarded with the orders "For Service in the Russian Armed Forces" (3rd degree), "For Military Merits", and numerous medals. Married, has two sons.

By presidential decree of May 6, 2012, Chirkov was appointed Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief.

Earlier, he had been heading Baltic Fleet since Sept 8, 2009.