Russian Navy Commander Resigned

Presently, duties of the Navy chief are temporarily performed by the Northern Fleet Commander Admiral Viktor Korolev. According to RIA Novosti referring to an insider in Russian defense ministry, soon Korolev will be appointed the Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief instead of Chirkov.

The decision on this matter is to be taken by April, reports the news agency’s source.


Vice Admiral Aleksander Fedotenkov, Russian Navy's assistant commander, announced in January that Chirkov had "undergone a minor surgery". According to him, the duties of the naval chief were then laid upon Korolev "as the most experienced and competent" admiral in the Russian Navy.

Admiral Vladimir Korolev used to serve in the Northern Fleet (NF) submarines; he headed the NF 24th Submarine Division since august 2000 till March 2002, then he held the post of the NF Chief of Staff since September 2002 till August 2005. Two years later, on November 19, 2007, Korolev took the office of the NF Deputy Commander. Early in July 2010, he was appointed the Black Sea Fleet Commander, and less than a year later, on June 23, 2011, he headed the Northern Fleet. In December 2014, Admiral Korolev assumed direction of the United Strategic Command "North".