General Sviridov joins the long list of Russian officials and oligarchs who have died under mysterious circumstances since the start of the war in Ukraine. Former commander of Russia’s 6th Air and Air Defense Army, Lieutenant General Vladimir Sviridov, was found dead in a house in the village of Andzhievsky in southern Russia last Wednesday, several Russian media outlets, including RIA Novosti, reported.
The lifeless body of a woman who could be his wife was also found next to him. They had been dead for about a week when they were discovered.
The circumstances of her death are unclear. According to RIA Novosti, the bodies show no signs of violent death.
Vladimir Sviridov, 68, graduated from the Higher Military Aviation School for Air Defense Pilots and Navigators in Stavropol, according to Russian media Meduza. In 2005 he was appointed commander of the 6th Air and Air Defense Army and held this position until 2009.
Criticism of the army
Throughout his career, he enjoyed fame, including the Order of the Red Star “For Military Merit” and the title of “Honored Military Pilot of the Russian Federation,” according to Kommersant.
But he could also be critical, emphasizes the New York Post, which recalls that in a 2007 interview with the Russian magazine Take-Off he complained about the training of Russian army pilots.
“A pilot must fly approximately 100 hours per year to be fully combat ready. However, this is not yet the case, the average flight duration in the army is currently 25 to 30 hours,” he said.
In another interview, Sviridov was quoted as saying: “We are forced to appoint officers who are not fully trained because there are no better ones.” »