MOSCOW, March 14. /TASS/. Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Viktor Chirkov has handed in resignation for health reasons, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Monday.

"The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed that Northern Fleet Commander Admiral Vladimir Korolev now performs the duties of the Navy’s acting commander. Admiral Viktor Chirkov has decided to send in resignation for health reasons," the ministry’s press service says.

A Russian Defense Ministry source told TASS earlier on Monday that Chirkov handed in resignation for health reasons due to which he cannot perform the commander’s duties around two weeks ago. Admiral Vladimir Korolev who is now acting commander-in-chief is expected to be appointed Navy’s new commander-in-chief, the source said.

In January, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Vice Admiral Alexander Fedotenkov said that Chirkov had undergone a surgery and was taking a medical examination and Korolev was appointed the Navy’s deputy commander.

Chirkov was appointed the Russian Navy’s commander-in-chief in May 2012. Prior to that, since 2009, he had been commander of Russia’s Baltic Fleet.