Viktor Afzalov became the new commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force

Colonel-General Viktor Afzalov has been appointed the new Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces. This is reported on the website of the Ministry of Defense. The agency indicates that Afzalov was appointed to the position in October 2023 by decree of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

Previously, the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force from 2017 to 2023 was held by General Sergey Surovykin. Afzalov was temporarily acting after his resignation in August of this year.

On October 20, TASS and RIA Novosti reported Afzalov’s appointment to the position with reference to sources. It was stated that he is a graduate of the Pushkin Higher Military School of Air Defense Radio Electronics, the Air Defense Military University, and the Military Academy of the General Staff. Since 2017, he commanded the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of the Eastern Military District. Since 2018, he has held the position of Chief of the General Staff – First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces. On the website of the Ministry of Defense, it is reported that Afzalov is a participant in hostilities and has been awarded the Orders “For Military Merit”, “Alexander Nevsky”, “For Merit to the Fatherland” VI and III degrees.

• Sergey Surovykin commanded Russian troops in Ukraine from October 2022 to January 2023. His name was associated, in particular, with the campaign of attacks on the energy system of Ukraine, as well as the abandonment of Kherson and the entire right-bank part of the Kherson region. In January, he was transferred to the position of deputy commander under the head of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.
• The former commander of the Russian group in Ukraine has not appeared in public for more than two months, since the mutiny of PMC “Wagner” mercenaries on June 24. The New York Times, citing American officials, reported that Surovykin knew about the mutiny in advance. A few hours after his start, the Russian authorities published a video in which he calls on the mercenaries to return to their place of deployment.
• Mass media and various Telegram channels reported that Surovykin was in fact deprived of his freedom after the riot, but was not in a pre-trial detention center, but in another place. It was claimed that he was questioned about his possible involvement in the organization of the armed campaign against Moscow, organized by the now deceased Yevgeny Prigozhin. On September 4, journalist Ksenia Sobchak published a photo of Surovykin. The New York Times newspaper also wrote about the release of the general, referring to two American officials and a person close to the Ministry of Defense of Russia.