Russia's Director of Military Intelligence Dies
04 January 2016 - 4:10PM
Dow Jones News
MOSCOW—The director of Russia's military intelligence agency has
died unexpectedly, according to a short statement released Monday
on the Kremlin website, which didn't specify the cause of his
death.
Col. Gen. Igor Sergun had run the Main Intelligence Directorate
of Russia's General Staff, known as the GRU, since late 2011. He
was 58 years old.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, in a statement released
to the Interfax news agency, said Col. Gen. Sergun died suddenly on
Sunday. Mr. Shoigu's statement offered no additional details.
The military intelligence chief joined the Soviet military in
1973 and became director of the secretive GRU and deputy chief of
Russia's general staff in 2011, according to his official biography
on the Russian Defense Ministry website. He served in military
intelligence since 1984, according to the biography.
Last year, the U.S. and European Union sanctioned Col. Gen.
Sergun after Russia annexed Crimea and backed a rebel uprising in
east Ukraine.
Western and Ukrainian officials have accused the GRU—one of the
most important parts of Russia's foreign intelligence apparatus—of
playing a sizable role in the conflict in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the military
intelligence chief for dedicating his life to the motherland in a
message to his friends and relatives that the Kremlin press service
released to Russian newswires on Monday.
"His colleagues and subordinates knew him as a real military
officer, and experienced and competent commander, a person of great
courage and a true patriot," Mr. Putin said. "They respected him
for his professionalism, strength of character, honesty and
integrity."
Write to Paul Sonne at paul.sonne@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 04, 2016 10:55 ET (15:55 GMT)
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