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Vladimir ShkidchenkoUkrainian military leader, General of the Ukrainian Army
Date of Birth: 01.01.1948
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
Biography of Vladimir Shkidchenko
Vladimir Shkidchenko is a Ukrainian military figure and General of the Ukrainian Army. He served as the Minister of Defense of Ukraine from November 12, 2001, to June 25, 2003.
Early Life and Education
Vladimir Shkidchenko was born in Chita, where his father, an officer of the Soviet Army, was stationed. His father, Lieutenant General Hero of the Russian Federation P.I. Shkidchenko, tragically died during the Afghan War in 1982. Shkidchenko is of Ukrainian descent. He completed his secondary education in the city of Belgorod-Dnestrovsky in the Odessa region.
In 1966, he enrolled in the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, where he studied for four years before deciding to pursue a military career. In 1970, he joined the Soviet Army and graduated from the Odessa Military Artillery Command School in 1972.
Military Career
Following his graduation, Shkidchenko commanded an artillery platoon and later an artillery battery in the Kiev Military District. In 1979, he completed his studies at the M.V. Frunze Military Academy. He served in various positions, including deputy commander of an artillery regiment in the Far Eastern Military District and commander of a fortified area. In 1988, he became the commander of a motorized rifle division in the Central Group of Soviet Forces in Czechoslovakia, which was later relocated to the Transcaucasian Military District in 1990.
In March 1992, Shkidchenko transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and was appointed commander of the 6th Guards Tank Army in the Odessa Military District. From July 1993, he served as the first deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and later became the commander of the troops of the Odessa Military District. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel General in May 1994. In February 1998, the Odessa Military District was reformed into the Southern Operational Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and Shkidchenko remained in command. He also completed command military courses in the United States during that time.
From September 1998, Shkidchenko served as the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the first deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine. He was awarded the rank of Army General of Ukraine on August 28, 2001. In November 2001, he was appointed as the Minister of Defense of Ukraine. He also served as a member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine from July 2000 to September 2003. Shkidchenko tendered his resignation as Minister of Defense on July 27, 2002, following the Sknyliv airshow disaster, but it was not accepted by the President of Ukraine. He was ultimately relieved of his position in June 2003.
After his resignation, Shkidchenko remained in the service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for some time. In March 2004, he became the Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Mission to NATO for military affairs.
Awards and Recognition
Throughout his career, Vladimir Shkidchenko received several prestigious awards and honors. He was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd and 2nd classes, for his personal merits in the development of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the fulfillment of assigned tasks. He also received the Order of the Badge of Honor from the Soviet Union in 1981. In 2002, he was honored with the State Prize of Ukraine in the field of science and technology.
