Chief of the Defence Staff (Russia)

Chief of the Defence Staff (Russia)
Post	Chief of the Defence Staff
Body	Russian Federation
Native name	Начальник штаба Вооружённых Сил Российской Федерации
Incumbent	Valery Gerasimov
Incumbentsince	9 November 2012
Department	Ministry of Defence (Russia)
Reports to	Minister of Defence
Seat	Moscow
Appointer	President of Russia
Formation	7 May 1992
First	Pavel Grachev

Contents

Chief of the Defence Staff (Russia) The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, serving as the principal military adviser to the President of Russia, the Security Council of Russia, and the Minister of Defence (Russia). The office coordinates joint planning, operational command, and force readiness across the Ground Forces (Russia), Navy (Russia), Aerospace Forces (Russia), and other services, liaising with strategic bodies such as the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the Main Directorate of the General Staff (GRU), and the Federal Security Service.

Role and responsibilities

The Chief directs the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and oversees strategic planning, operational command, and crisis management in coordination with the Ministry of Defence (Russia), the President of Russia, and the Security Council of Russia. Responsibilities include developing joint doctrine with the Ground Forces (Russia), integrating capabilities from the Navy (Russia), coordinating air operations with the Aerospace Forces (Russia), and supervising special operations with the Spetsnaz GRU and the National Guard of Russia. The Chief advises on force structure, modernization programs involving enterprises like Uralvagonzavod and Almaz-Antey, and contingency planning related to treaties such as the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and incidents like the Russo-Ukrainian War.

The post traces its lineage to the Imperial General Staff (Russian Empire) and the Soviet General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR, with continuity through figures associated with the Russian Civil War, the Great Patriotic War, and Cold War-era reformers. Recreated in the early 1990s after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the office evolved during tenures impacted by events such as the First Chechen War, the Second Chechen War, the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, and the Crimea crisis. Organizational reforms under Ministers like Sergei Ivanov and Anatoly Serdyukov affected the Chief’s remit, while modernization initiatives under Sergey Shoygu and strategic doctrines influenced by thinkers at the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia reshaped joint command and force projection.

The Chief is appointed by the President of Russia on the recommendation of the Minister of Defence (Russia) and is subject to presidential dismissal; appointments have involved senior officers from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Ground Forces (Russia), and Aerospace Forces (Russia). Tenures vary and have been influenced by political events involving the State Duma, shifts during presidencies of Boris Yeltsin, Vladimir Putin, and Dmitry Medvedev, and crises such as the Il-20 shootdown and the Syrian Civil War. The Chief often holds the rank of General of the Army (Russia) or Marshal of the Russian Federation and may serve concurrently as head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The Chief heads the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and operates within the Ministry of Defence (Russia), coordinating with subordinate directorates such as the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff, the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), and the Main Directorate of the Navy. The role requires interaction with service commanders of the Ground Forces (Russia), commanders of the Northern Fleet, Pacific Fleet, and the Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command, as well as with institutions like the Academy of the General Staff and defense-industrial stakeholders like Rostec. The Chief represents the armed forces in interagency forums including the Security Council of Russia and liaises with foreign counterparts in bodies such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization and during operations alongside the Syrian Arab Army.

- Pavel Grachev (first post-Soviet appointee) - Mikhail Kolesnikov - Anatoly Kvashnin - Nikolay Makarov - Valery Gerasimov (incumbent) (For detailed chronological list, see military biographies in the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia and presidential decrees from the Kremlin (Moscow)).

The Chief customarily bears insignia associated with senior Russian ranks such as shoulder boards of General of the Army (Russia) and distinctive emblems of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Defence (Russia). Symbols include the double-headed eagle emblem used by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, service-specific flags for the Navy (Russia), Aerospace Forces (Russia), and pennants for fleet commanders like those of the Baltic Fleet and Black Sea Fleet. Medals, orders, and decorations often worn by Chiefs derive from awards such as the Order of Courage (Russia), the Order of Military Merit (Russia), and Soviet-era honors preserved in biographies of senior officers.