MOSCOW. Aug 14 (Interfax-AVN) - New appointments have been made to the command of the Interior Ministry troops, the press service of the troops reported on Wednesday.
Colonel General Valery Baranov, former commander of the unified federal troops group in the North Caucasus, is appointed first deputy commander of the Interior Ministry troops. Baranov's predecessor Lieutenant General Nikolai Garidov died in an air crash in Chechnya in January this year.
Baranov was born in the Orenburg region in 1948. He graduated from the Kazan higher tank command college, Armored Troops Academy and General Staff Academy. He was commander of a platoon, company, regiment, division and army corps in the Trans- Baikal military district, later held several posts in the Moscow military district. Before the current appointment he was deputy commander of the North Caucasus military district.
Major General Yevgeny Lazebin is appointed deputy commander of the Interior Ministry troops and chief of the troops' combat training department. Lazebin's predecessor Lieutenant General Nikolai Rogozhkin is now chief-of-staff and first deputy commander of the Interior Ministry troops.
Lazebin was born in the Altai territory in 1955. He graduated from the Omsk higher joint-arms command college, Frunze Military Academy and General Staff Academy. He commanded a motorized rifle platoon, company, battalion, regiment and Taman division in the Moscow military district. Before the current appointment Lazebin was chief-of-staff and first deputy commander of an army corps in the Siberian military district.
Major General Yuri Pylnev is appointed deputy commander of the Interior Ministry troops in charge of aviation and chief of the troops' aircraft department. He replaced Lieutenant General Viktor Yakunov, who had retired due to poor health.
Pylnev was born in the Tambov region in 1952. He graduated from the Tambov higher air force pilots college, Gagarin Air Force Academy and General Staff Academy. He served in the long- range aviation as commander of an aircraft, unit, squadron, aircraft regiment, aviation division and at other posts. Before the current appointment Pylnev was deputy commander of an Air Force army.
Major General Yuri Kotov is appointed commander of the western district of the Interior Ministry troops. Major General Igor Artykbayev is appointed chief-of-staff and first deputy commander of the western district. Major General Alexander Stolyarov is appointed chief-of-staff and first deputy commander of the Siberian district of the Interior Ministry troops.