Igor Sergun
| Colonel-General Igor Sergun |
|
|---|---|
| Игорь Дмитриевич Сергун | |
| File:Игорь Сергун.jpg | |
| Director of Russian Military Intelligence | |
| In office 26 December 2011 – 3 January 2016 |
|
| Prime Minister | Vladimir Putin |
| Preceded by | Alexander Shlyakhturov |
| Succeeded by | Igor Korobov |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Igor Dmitrievich Sergun 28 March 1957 Podolsk, Moscow Oblast, Soviet Union |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Moscow, Russian Federation |
| Awards | Order of Military Merit Order of Honour Medal for Battle Merit Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" Medal "For Impeccable Service"  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union (Before 1991)  Russia (1991-2016) |
| Service/branch | Armed Forces of the Russian Federation |
| Years of service | 1973–2016 |
| Rank | Colonel General |
| Battles/wars | Cold War First Chechen War Kosovo War Second Chechen War |
General Igor Dmitrievich Sergun (Russian: И́горь Дми́триевич Сергу́н; IPA: [ˈiɡərʲ ˈdʲmʲitrʲɪjɪvʲɪtɕ sʲɪrˈɡun], 28 March 1957 – 3 January 2016) was the Director of GRU, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation from 26 December 2011 to 3 January 2016.[1][2]
Biography
He was born on 28 March 1957 in Podolsk, Moscow Oblast. He served in the Soviet Armed Forces since 1973, and graduated from the Moscow Suvorov Military School and the Moscow Supreme Soviet Higher Military Command School, and the Military Academy of the Soviet Army and as well in the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
He worked in military intelligence since 1984, and served in various positions in the Main Intelligence Directorate. He speaks several foreign languages and was awarded state awards. In 1998 as a colonel, he served as a RF Military Attaché in Tirana, Albania.
In December 2011, he was appointed as Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.[3]
Sanctions
20 March 2014, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) published that Sergun and 19 other men were added to the Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN).[4][5][6][7][8][9]
On 12 May 2014, Sergun was added to the European Union sanctions list due to his role in the 2014 Crimean crisis.[10] He was barred from entering the EU countries, with his assets in the EU frozen the same day.
Mysterious death
On 4 January 2016, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu released a short statement[11] to the Russian non-governmental news agency Interfax, and published on the Kremlin website, stating that Sergun had "died unexpectedly" the day before, on 3 January but didn't specify the cause of his death. Three days later, on 6 January the American based global intelligence company Stratfor questioned Sergun’s death stating that their source heard a report that he died on New Year's Day in Lebanon.[12]
On 4 March 2016, Stratfor was supported in their analysis of Sergun’s death by the Lebanese media outlet Ya Libnan who reported he was killed in a "complicated secret mission" that several Arab and Middle Eastern intelligence agencies took part in too.[13] The Kremlin in responding to the Ya Libnan claims being made about Sergun’s death "withheld comment" with Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov further adding, "We have already voiced everything we could, you have yourselves characterized these reports." [14]
State awards
- Order of Military Merit
- Order of Honour
- Medal for Battle Merit
- Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow"
- Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
- Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
- Medal "For Impeccable Service", 1st class
- Medal of the Order "For Merit", 2nd class
- Medal "For strengthening of the state system of protection of information", 2nd class
- "Medal "Participant of Operation March-Shot Bosnia-Kosovo 12 June 1999"
References
- ↑ "Official biography of the Chief of the New Russian Military Intelligence, Igor Sergun", official website of the Russian Ministry of Defence (webarchive).
- ↑ Voice of America, Russia Names New GRU Chief, January 2012
- ↑ RIA Novosti Col. Gen. Alexander Shlyakhturov has retired as chief of Russia’s military intelligence agency and handed over his duties to Maj. Gen. Igor Sergun
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- ↑ www.treasury.gov
- ↑ Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN)
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External links
- RIA Novosti, Russian Military Intelligence Targets Terrorism Hot Spots, GRU Director said, January 19, 2012
- President Medvedev visited the GRU Headquarters after Igor Sergun's Appointment, Kremlin.ru, January 19, 2012.
- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Powerful Russians Hit By Toughest U.S. Sanctions Yet, March 20, 2014 (photo no 7)
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | GRU Chief December 26, 2011–January 3, 2016 |
Succeeded by Igor Korobov |
