Colonel General Alexander Chaiko has been named commander-in-chief of Russia’s Aerospace Forces, sources told RBC. The appointment was also reported by the pro-war Telegram blogger Fighterbomber.

Chaiko previously served on the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, commanded Russia’s military grouping in Syria from 2019 to 2021, and then led the Eastern Military District.

The pro-government newspaper Izvestia reported that Chaiko was awarded the title Hero of Russia in a classified decree in 2020. He succeeds General Viktor Afzalov as commander of the Aerospace Forces.

In March, the European Union placed Chaiko under sanctions as one of the Russian commanders held responsible for the mass killings of Ukrainians in Bucha, in the Kyiv Region, during the early weeks of the full-scale invasion.

An investigation by the Associated Press found that in early 2022, Chaiko commanded the Russian advance on Kyiv, and that units operating under his command are considered responsible for the mass killings of civilians in the Kyiv Region.

Human Rights Watch named Alexander Chaiko as responsible for bombing hospitals and schools in Syria and for using indiscriminate weapons in civilian areas. The United Kingdom imposed sanctions on him for his role in that conflict.

Chaiko was also mentioned in media reports based on an intelligence assessment from a European country, which found that Vladimir Putin had ordered Chaiko’s security reinforced and assigned him personnel from the FSO. The move followed a dispute between security agencies at a private meeting where Ukrainian strikes on senior Russian military figures were discussed.

Russian authorities deny the mass killings in Bucha and other towns in the Kyiv Region during the Russian occupation, despite extensive documentation of those events. They have called the allegations that Russian forces killed civilians in Bucha a “provocation” and a “staged event.” Meanwhile, Russian units considered responsible for the killings have received honorary designations, and individual servicemen have been given new posts.