MOSCOW. Sept 17 (Interfax-AVN) - Col. Gen. Alexander Kolmakov has been appointed first deputy defense minister, a well-informed military source told Interfax-AVN on Monday.
"Gen. Kolmakov, who used to be commander of the Air-Borne Force until recently, has replaced Gen. Alexander Belousov as first deputy defense minister," the source said.
Lt. Gen. Valery Yevtukhovich, who had led the Air-Borne Force headquarters, was appointed new commander of the force.
The source said that Kolmakov will be officially introduced in the next few days.
Belousov, who used to oversee the Defense Ministry Department for Combat Training, may be appointed Russian ambassador to NATO, the source said.
Kolmakov, who was born on July 31, 1955 in the Moscow region, graduated from the Ryazan College of the Air-Borne Force, the Frunze Military Academy and the Military Academy of the General Staff. He was appointed commander of the Air Borne Force in September 2003.
The Defense Ministry has not offered any comments on Kolmakov's appointment.