MOSCOW, October 27. /TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed on Friday the appointment of Colonel-General Viktor Afzalov as chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

"In October 2023, he was appointed as commander-in-chief of the Aerospace Forces by a decree of the president of the Russian Federation," the ministry said on its website.

Before his appointment, Afzalov held the post of acting commander-in-chief of the Aerospace Forces. A TASS source close to the Aerospace Forces said on October 20 that Afzalov had been appointed to this post instead of Army General Sergey Surovikin.

Afzalov was born on June 9, 1968 near Simferopol, graduated from the Pushkin Higher Air Defense Radio Electronics Military School (1989), the Air Defense Military University (2000) and the General Staff Military Academy (2010).

Afzalov was appointed chief of staff, first deputy commander of the Eastern Military District’s Air Force and Air Defense Army in 2012, commander of the District’s Air Force and Air Defense Army in July 2017 and chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ Main Staff in August 2018.

Afzalov was decorated with the Orders for Military Merit, Alexander Nevsky, For Merit to the Fatherland 4th and 3rd Grades and many medals.