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Russia’s ex-defence minister dies in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences to family and relatives of former defence minister Pavel Grachev
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, September 23 (Itar-Tass) — Russia’s former defence minister Pavel Grachev died in Moscow on Sunday, the head of the staff of the Military Commanders Club, Nikolai Deryabin, told Itar-Tass.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences to family and relatives of former defence minister Pavel Grachev, who died in Moscow’s hospital on Sunday, the president’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters.

Pavel Grachev was born in 1948 in Russia’s Tula region.

He graduated from the Ryazan Airborne Military Command School in 1969, the Frunze Military Academy in 1981 and the General Staff Academy in 1990.

During the war in Afghanistan he commanded a parachute-landing regiment.

In 1991 he was appointed the commander of the Soviet Airborne Troops.

From 1992 to 1996 Grachev was Russia’s Defence Minister.

In 1997-2007 he served as chief military advisor to the director-general of Russia’s state arms exporter Rosvooruzheniye (currently Rosoboronexport).