Anatoly Pozdnyakov
Encyclopedia
Anatoly Pozdnyakov was a Russia
n general, alternatively identified as a Lieutenant General
and Major General
,
and aide to Chief of the General Staff
Anatoly Kvashnin
.
helicopter in Chechnya
(see 2001 Grozny Mi-8 crash
).
Official reports concluded that the attack on the helicopter was orchestrated by members of a Chechen rebel group specialized in targeting high-ranking Russian military personnel.
Journalist Anna Politkovskaya
, however, claimed that Pozdnyakov was assassinated
by members of the Russian military.
Pozdnyakov headed a General Staff
"inspection team"
and, according to Politkovskaya, communicated to her in an interview shortly before his death
that he had been tasked by President Vladimir Putin
to investiate and report on "military crimes".
In A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya, Politkovskaya wrote:
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n general, alternatively identified as a Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
and Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
,
and aide to Chief of the General Staff
Chief of the General Staff (Russia)
The Chief of the General Staff is the chief of staff of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. He is appointed by the President of Russia, who is the commander-in-chief. The position dates to the period of the Russian Empire...
Anatoly Kvashnin
Anatoly Kvashnin
General of the Army Anatoly Vasiliyevich Kvashnin was the Chief of the Russian General Staff from 1997 to 2004, when he was dismissed by President Vladimir Putin. Kvashnin graduated from the Kurgan Machine-building Institute in 1969 and served in the armed forces from this time...
.
Death
Pozdnyakov was killed on 17 September 2001 when e a surface-to-air-missile downed his Mil Mi-8Mil Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....
helicopter in Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
(see 2001 Grozny Mi-8 crash
2001 Grozny Mi-8 crash
The 2001 Grozny Mil Mi-8 crash in Chechnya killed 13 Russian military personnel, mostly senior military officers including two generals.On September 17, 2001, a surface-to-air missile fired by a special Chechen group targeting Russian commanders downed a VIP Mil Mi-8 helicopter over Grozny, killing...
).
Official reports concluded that the attack on the helicopter was orchestrated by members of a Chechen rebel group specialized in targeting high-ranking Russian military personnel.
Journalist Anna Politkovskaya
Anna Politkovskaya
Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist, author, and human rights activist known for her opposition to the Chechen conflict and then-President of Russia Vladimir Putin...
, however, claimed that Pozdnyakov was assassinated
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
by members of the Russian military.
Pozdnyakov headed a General Staff
General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is the military staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It is the central organ of the Armed Forces Administration and oversees operational management of the armed forces under the Russian Ministry of Defence.The staff is...
"inspection team"
and, according to Politkovskaya, communicated to her in an interview shortly before his death
that he had been tasked by President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
to investiate and report on "military crimes".
In A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya, Politkovskaya wrote: