MOSCOW, April 4 (AVN) - Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov has appointed Colonel General Nikolai Makarov acting commander of the Moscow military district, a spokesman for the General Staff said on Wednesday.
The post of Moscow district commander became vacant after Colonel General Igor Puzanov was promoted to state secretary and deputy defence minister. Makarov, who is the district's chief-of-staff, is ordered to supervise preparations for the strategic command post exercise that will take place in the district in late April under command of Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff Anatoly Kvashnin.
Besides, Makarov is made personally responsible for preparations for the military parade timed to the 56th anniversary of victory in WWII. An earlier decree of President Vladimir Putin instructed Puzanov to supervise the preparations.
According to the spokesman, those circumstances confirm that Makarov will soon be appointed district commander. Moreover, Puzanov and Ivanov have already discussed this appointment, he claimed.
Makarov has been the district's chief-of-staff since September 1999. He was promoted to colonel general in December 2000.