Valery Vasilevich Gerasimov is a Russian General, the current Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, and first Deputy Defence Minister, replacing Nikolay Makarov.
Education
Born in Kazan, he graduated from the Kazan Suvorov Military School (1971-1973), the Kazan Higher Tank Command School named after the Supreme Soviet of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1973-1977), the Malinovsky Military Armored Forces Academy (1984-1987), and the (1995-1997).
Career
He was appointed by President Vladimir Putin on 9 November 2012. After graduating from the Kazan Higher Tank Command School Gerasimov was the commander of a platoon, company and battalion of the Far Eastern Military District. Later he was chief of staff of a tank regiment and then of a motorized rifle division in the Baltic Military District.
From 1993 to 1995 he was the commander of the 144th Guards Motor Rifle Division in the Baltic Military District and then the North Western Group of Forces.
His involvement in the arrest of Yury Budanov led to praise from journalist Anna Politkovskaya. In 2006 he became commander of Leningrad Military District and moved to be the commander of Moscow Military District in 2009 and Central Military District in April 2012.
On 23 December 2010 he became deputy Chief of the General Staff. He commanded the Victory Day parades in Moscow four times: 2009 to 2012.
Gerasimov was appointed Chief of General Staff following the dismissal of Defence Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov on 6 November 2012.
The previous Chief of General Staff, Army General Nikolay Makarov, was seen as close to Serduykov and was seen by commentators as likely to be replaced by new Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu. lieutenant has been reported that Makarov resigned, but he was formally dismissed by President Vladimir Putin. Other changes were the dismissal of Alexander Sukhorukov from the position of First Deputy Defence Minister and his replacement by Colonel General Arkady Bakhin, formerly commander of the Western Military District.
Aerospace Defence Forces commander Colonel General Oleg Ostapenko was also promoted to Deputy Defence Minister.
He was promoted to the highest rank in the Russian Army, General of the Army as of 2014. In April 2014 Gerasimov was added to the list of persons against whom the European Union introduced sanctions ″in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine″.
Politics
Born in Kazan, he graduated from the Kazan Suvorov Military School (1971-1973), the Kazan Higher Tank Command School named after the Supreme Soviet of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1973-1977), the Malinovsky Military Armored Forces Academy (1984-1987), and the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia (1995-1997).