Igor Sergun

Colonel-General
Igor Sergun
Игорь Дмитриевич Сергун
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
(1957-03-28)28 March 1957
Podolsk, Moscow Oblast, Soviet Union
Died 3 January 2016(2016-01-03) (aged 58)
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 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

References

  1. ↑ "Official biography of the Chief of the New Russian Military Intelligence, Igor Sergun", official website of the Russian Ministry of Defence (webarchive).
  2. ↑ Voice of America, Russia Names New GRU Chief, January 2012
  3. ↑ 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
  4. ↑ "Treasury Sanctions Russian Officials, Members Of The Russian Leadership's Inner Circle, And An Entity For Involvement In The Situation In Ukraine". US Department of the treasury.
  5. ↑ "Executive Order - Blocking Property of Additional Persons Contributing to the Situation in Ukraine". The White House - Office of the Press Secretary.
  6. ↑ www.treasury.gov
  7. ↑ Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN)
  8. ↑ Shuklin, Peter (March 21, 2014). "Putin's inner circle: who got in a new list of US sanctions". liga.net. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  9. ↑ President of The United States (March 19, 2016). "Ukraine EO13661" (PDF). Federal Register. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  10. ↑ "COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 477/2014". THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. eur-lex.europa.eu. 2014-05-12. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  11. ↑ Sonne, Paul (January 4, 2016). "Russia's Director of Military Intelligence Dies Unexpectedly". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  12. ↑ Diary, Geopolitical (January 6, 2016). "A Mysterious Death Raises Questions in Russia". Stratfor. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  13. ↑ Yalibnan (March 4, 2016). "Russian military intelligence chief killed in secret operation in Lebanon, report". Ya Libnan. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  14. ↑ Diplomacy, Politics (March 4, 2016). "Kremlin gives no comment to Lebanese media version of death of Russian intelligence chief". Russian News Agency TASS. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
Political offices
Preceded by
Alexander Shlyakhturov		 GRU Chief
December 26, 2011–January 3, 2016 		Succeeded by
Igor Korobov
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