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Former Russian Defence Minister Pavel Grachev died

Pavel Grachev was brought in heavy condition to the Vishnevsky military hospital overnight to September 12

On September 23, former Russian Defence Minister, first General of Army Pavel Grachev died at the age of 65 years. Grachev was hospitalized 11 days ago.

Pavel Grachev was brought in heavy condition to the Vishnevsky military hospital overnight to September 12. The former Defence Minister Grachev presumably suffered a heavy hypertensive crisis. The diagnoses of intestinal poisoning or stroke were considered as well. However, the doctors did not disclose any diagnosis officially. General Grachev died at 14:40 Moscow time on Sunday at the hospital.

Grachev occupied the post of the Russian defence minister from 1992 to 1996, the Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily reported. “Grachev was a general of his times. He had to reform the Soviet Army to match the tasks of independent Russia and this was a very heavy burden,” Chairman of the State Duma Defence Committee Vladimir Komoedov told the news agencies. He noted that General Grachev succeeded to preserve the army and not to ruin it.

The general left the widow, two sons, grandson Pavel Grachev, the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily reported. He was awarded with eight military orders and the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. He has also made a good deal of mistakes that are already in the past. Probably those, who are still grateful to him that they came back from Afghanistan alive, live now. The article in the newspaper is titled, “I regret that I agreed to become the defence minister.”

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