Flying Ace and War Hero: Who is the New Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces?
15:38 GMT 25.07.2024 (Updated: 15:47 GMT 25.07.2024)
© Sputnik / Maksim Bogodvid
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In a recent reshuffle, Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash, who previously served as commander of the Long-Range Aviation, was appointed as a deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
What is known about Kobylash?
He began his service in the Soviet Armed Forces' aviation group in Germany as an Su-17M4 fighter-bomber pilot, and then held various command positions in the Russian Air Force.
Kobylash participated in the restoration of the constitutional order in Chechnya between 1994 and 1996, and then took part in counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
During Georgia's invasion of South Ossetia, Kobylash, then a regiment commander, piloted an Su-25SM attack aircraft that was hit twice over the Tskhinval area on August 9, 2008. He managed to fly the damaged jet away from a residential area and successfully ejected from the aircraft.
In September 2016, he was appointed to the position of a commander of the Long-Range Aviation, a sub-branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces responsible for delivering long-range nuclear and conventional strikes.
Early last year, Kobylash announced that the Russian strategic aircraft of the Long-Range Aviation would take part in the special military operation in Ukraine in 2023.
Kobylash was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation for taking part in the counter-terrorist operations in the North Caucasus. He was also awarded the Order of Courage, the Order of Military Merit, the Medal of Courage and other military awards.
He was born on April 1, 1965 in Odessa and graduated from the Yeisk Higher Military Aviation School in 1987. He also studied at the Gagarin Air Force Academy and the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. His total flight time exceeds 1,500 hours.
