MINSK. Dec 13 (Interfax-AVN) - A series of appointments has been made to the leadership of the Belarussian Armed Forces, a spokesman for the republic's Defense Ministry told Interfax- Military News Agency on Thursday.
Major General Sergei Gurulev was appointed chief-of-staff and first deputy defense minister, Major General Ivan Chikal deputy defense minister in charge of rear, Major General Oleg Paferov commander of the Air Force and Air Defense, and Major General Yuri Portnov commander of the Land Forces.
Gurulev was born in the southern Siberian Chita region on February 21, 1953. He graduated from the Blagoveshchensk higher tank command college, Armored Troops Academy and Russian General Staff Academy. He served in the Belarussian Armed Forces from 1986 occupying various posts from chief-of-staff of a regiment to chief-of-staff pf the Armed Forces.
Chikal was born in the Chernivitsi region in Ukraine on June 3, 1947, graduated from the Leningrad artillery college and Kalinin Artillery Academy. Prior to the current appointment he served as chief of the missile troops and artillery. Chikal is a distinguished specialist of the Belarussian Armed Forces.
Paferov was born in Kazakhstan on August 2, 1949, graduated from the Gorky air defense missile college, Govorov Air Defense Engineering and Radio Technical Academy and Russian General Staff Academy. Prior to the current appointment he served as first deputy commander of the Belarussian Air Defense.
Portnov was born in Russia's Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) region on May 22, 1948, graduated from the Ulyanovsk guard higher tank command college, Armored Troops Academy and Russian General Staff Academy. Before the current appointment he was as aide to the Belarussian defense minister in charge of military policy.