Wikipedia

Aleksandr Chayko

Colonel General Aleksandr Yuryevich Chayko[a] (born 27 July 1971) is a Russian military officer who has been Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces since 2026. He was formerly the commander of the Eastern Military District from 2021 to 2022, and his other previous commands included the 1st Guards Tank Army and the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army. Chayko was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation in 2020.

Aleksandr Chayko
Chayko in 2026
Native name
Александр Юрьевич Чайко
Born
Aleksandr Yuryevich Chayko

(1971-07-27) 27 July 1971 (age 54)
Golitsyno, Moscow Oblast, Soviet Union
AllegianceRussia
Branch
Russian Ground Forces
Russian Aerospace Forces
Service years
1992–present
Rank
Colonel General
CommandsCommander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces
Eastern Military District
Group of Forces in the Syrian Arab Republic
1st Guards Tank Army
20th Guards Combined Arms Army
Conflicts
AwardsHero of the Russian Federation
Alma materMoscow Higher Combined Arms Command School
Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia

He was commissioned in 1992, graduating from the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School. He went on to graduate from the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in 2001 and the General Staff Academy in 2012. At the start of the Russian military intervention in Syria in 2015, Chayko served as the chief of staff, being responsible for setting up base infrastructure and coordinating operations with Syrian allies. He commanded the Operational Group of Forces in the Syrian Arab Republic several times, including from 2019 to 2021, in 2022, and in 2024.[1]

He is accused by the Ukrainian government of organizing massacres in Bucha and other towns around Kyiv during 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[2]

Early life and education

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Aleksandr Chayko was born on 27 July 1971 in Golitsyno, Moscow Oblast.[3] In 1988, he graduated from the Moscow Suvorov Military School,[3] and in 1992, he graduated from the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School.[1]

Military career

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He also graduated from the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in 2001. From 2001 to 2006, he was the chief of staff of a motorized rifle regiment, commander of a motorized rifle regiment (MVO). He was promoted to a colonel ahead of schedule in 2004. From 2006 to 2007, he was the commander of the 27th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, and from November 2007 to May 2009, he was a commander of the 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division. In October 2009, he was the head of the 473rd district educational center for training junior specialists (PURVO).)[4] He graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia in 2012.[citation needed]

In June 2013, Chayko was the deputy army commander of the Central Military District. On 8 July 2014, by the Decree of the President of Russia, he was appointed commander of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Red Banner Army. After the reconstruction of the 1st Guards Tank Army in 2014, he became its commander until April 2017.[5]

In 2015, Chayko was the first chief of staff of the Grouping of Forces of the Russian Armed Forces Syria.[1] He was promoted to a lieutenant general by Decree of the President of Russia No. 665 dated 12 December 2016.[6] From April 2017 to November 2018, Chayko was the Chief of Staff - the First Deputy Commander of the Eastern Military District.[7]

From November 2018 to February 2019, he was the Deputy Chief of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia.

In February 2019, he became the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia.[8]

Chayko with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on 7 January 2020

From September 2019 to November 2020 and from February 2021 to June 2021, he was the Commander of the Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Russia in Syria.[9][10]By the Decree of the President of Russia, No. 355, on 11 June 2021, Chayko was promoted colonel general.[11] His accomplishments in his previous posts were praised by President Vladimir Putin.[1]

On 12 November 2021, Chayko became the commander of the Eastern Military District.[12] On 16 November, he officially took office, accepting the standard of the commander of the troops.[13] During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, he led the forces from the district in the northern Ukraine campaign. On 24 March 2022, he visited the front line, about 30 kilometers away from Kyiv, before the withdrawal on 29 March, during the peace negotiations in Istanbul.[1] In July 2022, an Eastern Group of Forces in Ukraine was established under the command of Rustam Muradov, and in October 2022 he was replaced as commander of the Eastern Military District by Muradov.[1][14] On 7 August 2022, the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense reported that Chayko was removed from his post.[15]

Chayko returned to Syria as commander of the Russian group of forces there From September to December 2022, and again November 2024, after the start of the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives.[1] In 2025 he became a Deputy Chief of the General Staff.[16] On 4 May 2026, he was appointed the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, replacing Viktor Afzalov, despite not having spent his career in the branch.[17][18]

War crime allegations

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Chayko earned a global reputation as a brutal leader in Syria in 2019 and 2020.[19] Human Rights Watch states that he may be responsible for widespread attacks against hospitals, schools and populated areas in the Idlib Governorate.[19] The attacks killed 1600 civilians and displaced 1.4 million.[19] It is alleged that during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, troops under Chayko's command tortured and executed hundreds of Ukrainian civilians during the Kyiv offensive.[19] War crimes prosecutors in Ukraine are researching whether Chayko directly ordered specific atrocities.[19]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ Russian: Александр Юрьевич Чайко

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Чайко Александр Юрьевич". RBK Group (in Russian). 2026. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  2. ↑ "Takeaways from investigation of Russian general in Ukraine". 26 October 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Московские суворовцы".
  4. ↑ "В ПУрВО назначен начальник 473 окружного учебного центра подготовки младших специалистов". Информационное агентство «Европейско-Азиатские Новости». 7 October 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  5. ↑ "Первая танковая: возрождение". archive.redstar.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  6. ↑ "Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 12.12.2016 г. № 665". Президент России (in Russian). Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  7. ↑ "Руководящему составу Восточного военного округа представлен новый начальник штаба : Министерство обороны Российской Федерации". structure.mil.ru. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  8. ↑ "Чайко Александр Юрьевич - биография". Mega-Stars.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  9. ↑ "СМИ узнали о смене командующего группировкой российских войск в Сирии". РБК (in Russian). 13 November 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  10. ↑ "На авиабазе ВКС РФ Хмеймим в Сирии открыли памятник погибшему в бою с террористами летчику Роману Филипову : Министерство обороны Российской Федерации". syria.mil.ru. Archived from the original on 5 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  11. ↑ "Указ Президента РФ №355 от 11 июня 2021 года — Президент России". prezident.org (in Russian). Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "В Восточном военном округе сменился командующий < Новости". Debri-DV (in Russian). Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  13. ↑ "Новый командующий войсками ВВО принял дела < Новости". Debri-DV (in Russian). Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  14. ↑ "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 7". Institute for the Study of War. 7 October 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  15. ↑ "RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, AUGUST 7". www.understandingwar.org. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  16. ↑ Hardie, John (4 May 2024). "Russian Aerospace Forces reportedly get new commander". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  17. ↑ "СМИ: главнокомандующим ВКС РФ стал Александр Чайко". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Russian). 4 May 2026. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  18. ↑ "Новым командующим ВКС стал генерал Чайко". RBK Group (in Russian). 4 May 2026. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Kinetz, Erika (26 October 2022). "'Kill everyone': Russian violence in Ukraine was strategic". Associated Press. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
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