Yury Baluyevsky
Encyclopedia
General of the Army Yury Nikolayevich Baluyevsky ' onMouseout='HidePop("56914")' href="/topics/Truskavets">Truskavets
in the Ukrainian SSR
) is the former First Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff
of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
, positions he held from July 2004 to 2008.
In 1970, he graduated from the Leningrad joint-arms command college, in 1980, from the Frunze Academy and in 1990, from the General Staff Academy. From 1970 to 1982, Baluyevsky served with the Soviet Army
's Ground Forces, advancing from commander of a motorized rifle platoon to senior officer of a military district operations department. He spent some time with the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
.
From 1982 to 1997, Baluyevsky held positions at the General Staff, the Defense Ministry and in the Group of Russian Forces of the Transcaucasus. In August 1997, he was appointed chief of the General Staff main operations department, and in July 2004, chief of staff of the Armed Forces and first deputy defense minister. Following the controversial tenure of General Anatoly Kvashnin
, General Baluyevsky was seen as a lower-profile officer with good strategic planning skills, according to the Jamestown Federation.
Baluyevsky was promoted to General of the Army on February 22, 2005, and by June he was appointed CSTO Chief of Staff, echoing Warsaw Pact practice with Soviet and now Russian CGSs taking mirror positions within the alliance organisations.
On January 19, 2008, Baluyevsky warned that Russia was ready to use force, including pre-emptively and with nuclear weapons, to defend itself against the potential threats from "international terrorism or countries seeking global or regional hegemony."
He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Almaz-Antey
since July 2005.
Traditionally thought of as a commanding officer with good strategic planning skills, Baluyevsky expressed strong criticism over some controversial issues in Russia's military policy, including the relocation of the Navy Headquarters from Moscow to St. Petersburg and the role and place of the General Staff in the management of the Russian military. The Chief of General Staff said in a public forum that the move was unnecessary.
On June 2, 2008, Baluyevsky stepped down as Chief of the General Staff, and moved to the position in the Security Council of the Russian Federation. He was succeeded by General of the Army Nikolai Makarov, former Chief of Armaments & Deputy Minister of Defense.
Truskavets
Truskavets is a city in western Ukraine's Lviv Oblast , near the border with Poland. The city is designated as a separate raion within the oblast....
in the Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
) is the former First Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff
Chief of the General Staff (Russia)
The Chief of the General Staff is the chief of staff of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. He is appointed by the President of Russia, who is the commander-in-chief. The position dates to the period of the Russian Empire...
of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are the military services of Russia, established after the break-up of the Soviet Union. On 7 May 1992 Boris Yeltsin signed a decree establishing the Russian Ministry of Defence and placing all Soviet Armed Forces troops on the territory of the RSFSR...
, positions he held from July 2004 to 2008.
In 1970, he graduated from the Leningrad joint-arms command college, in 1980, from the Frunze Academy and in 1990, from the General Staff Academy. From 1970 to 1982, Baluyevsky served with the Soviet Army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
's Ground Forces, advancing from commander of a motorized rifle platoon to senior officer of a military district operations department. He spent some time with the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
The Group of Soviet Forces in Germany , also known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany and the Western Group of Forces were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany....
.
From 1982 to 1997, Baluyevsky held positions at the General Staff, the Defense Ministry and in the Group of Russian Forces of the Transcaucasus. In August 1997, he was appointed chief of the General Staff main operations department, and in July 2004, chief of staff of the Armed Forces and first deputy defense minister. Following the controversial tenure of General Anatoly Kvashnin
Anatoly Kvashnin
General of the Army Anatoly Vasiliyevich Kvashnin was the Chief of the Russian General Staff from 1997 to 2004, when he was dismissed by President Vladimir Putin. Kvashnin graduated from the Kurgan Machine-building Institute in 1969 and served in the armed forces from this time...
, General Baluyevsky was seen as a lower-profile officer with good strategic planning skills, according to the Jamestown Federation.
Baluyevsky was promoted to General of the Army on February 22, 2005, and by June he was appointed CSTO Chief of Staff, echoing Warsaw Pact practice with Soviet and now Russian CGSs taking mirror positions within the alliance organisations.
On January 19, 2008, Baluyevsky warned that Russia was ready to use force, including pre-emptively and with nuclear weapons, to defend itself against the potential threats from "international terrorism or countries seeking global or regional hegemony."
He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Almaz-Antey
Almaz-Antey
OJSC "Concern PVO "Almaz-Antey" is a Russian joint undertaking in the arms industry, a result of a merger of Antey Corporation and NPO Almaz, unifying some of the national military enterprises, in particular, the developers of anti-aircraft defence systems . The organisation is headquartered in...
since July 2005.
Traditionally thought of as a commanding officer with good strategic planning skills, Baluyevsky expressed strong criticism over some controversial issues in Russia's military policy, including the relocation of the Navy Headquarters from Moscow to St. Petersburg and the role and place of the General Staff in the management of the Russian military. The Chief of General Staff said in a public forum that the move was unnecessary.
On June 2, 2008, Baluyevsky stepped down as Chief of the General Staff, and moved to the position in the Security Council of the Russian Federation. He was succeeded by General of the Army Nikolai Makarov, former Chief of Armaments & Deputy Minister of Defense.
Iran's Nuclear Program
In explaining Russia's rationale, General Yuri Baluyevsky, the Russian Deputy Chief of Staff said at a press conference in June 2002, "Iran does have nuclear weapons. These are non-strategic nuclear weapons. I mean these are not ICBMs with a range of more than 5,500 kilometers... As for the danger of Iran's attack on the United States, the danger is zero." General Baluyevsky's extraordinary briefing implied that Iran had acquired its fissile material from another source so there was no reason for Russia not to complete the nuclear reactor at Bushehr. He concluded "This co-operation will continue." (The cooperation, aside from nuclear reactors, included the delivery of Russian Kilo-class diesel- powered submarines, Mig-29 fighters, Sukhoy bombers a global navigation system and satellite-launching assistance).Honours and awards
- Order of Merit for the FatherlandOrder of Merit for the FatherlandThe Order of Merit for the Fatherland was instituted on 2 March 1994 by Presidential Decree. The statutes describe it as a decoration for merit, not an order of knights....
:- 2nd class (June 3, 2008) - for services to the state and significant contribution to the defense of the Fatherland
- 3rd class (December 30, 2006) - for outstanding contribution to strengthening the defense capability of the Russian Federation and many years of conscientious service
- 4th class
- Order of Military MeritOrder of Military Merit (Russia)The Order of Military Merit is a military decoration of the Russian Federation. It was established by presidential decree on 2 March 1994...
- Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR, 3rd class
- 850th Anniversary of Moscow Medal850th Anniversary of Moscow MedalThe 850th Anniversary of Moscow Medal was a medal in Russia. It was established by Presidential Decree no 132 of February 26, 1997 in commemoration of the 850th anniversary of the first Russian reference to Moscow, dating to 1147 when Yuri Dolgorukiy called upon the prince of the Novgorod-Severski...
- Medal "In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin"]]
- Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
- Medal "50 Years of the USSR Armed Forces"
- Medal "60 Years of the USSR Armed Forces"
- Medal "70 years of Soviet Armed Forces"
- Medal "For Military Merit" (MOD), 1st class
- Medal "Diligence in carrying out engineering tasks"
- Medal for Bosnia-Kosovo
- Medal for Strengthening Combat Commonwealth (Defence)
- Medal "200 Years of the Ministry of Defense"
- Meritorious Service, 1st class (previously also 2nd and 3rd classes)
- Order of the Yugoslav StarOrder of the Yugoslav StarOrder of the Yugoslav Star was the highest National order of merit awarded in Yugoslavia. It was divided into four classes. The highest class, the Yugoslav Great Star was the highest state decoration awarded in Yugoslavia...
, 1st class
Sources
- Interfax-AVN, Russian Armed Forces chief of staff promoted to army general, MOSCOW, Feb 22, 2005
External links
- http://www.jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2368275
- Official Biography from the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense.
- http://www.jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2369943