Andrei Ravkov
Lieutenant General Andrei Alyakseyevich Ravkov (Belarusian: Андрэй Аляксеевіч Раўкоў, born on 25 June 1967 in Revyaki, Vitebsk Region) is a Belarusian General and military leader who last served as the State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus in 2020.
Andrei Ravkov | |
|---|---|
| Ambassador of Belarus to Azerbaijan | |
| Assumed office 16 February 2021 | |
| President | Alexander Lukashenko |
| Prime Minister | Roman Golovchenko |
| Preceded by | Sergei Aleinik |
| State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus | |
| In office 20 January 2020 – 3 September 2020 | |
| President | Alexander Lukashenko |
| Prime Minister | Syarhey Rumas |
| Preceded by | Stanislav Zas |
| Succeeded by | Valery Vakulchik |
| Minister of Defence of Belarus | |
| In office 27 November 2014 – 20 January 2020 | |
| President | Alexander Lukashenko |
| Prime Minister | Andrei Kobyakov Syarhey Rumas |
| Preceded by | Yury Zhadobin |
| Succeeded by | Viktor Khrenin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 June 1967 Revyaki, Vitebsk Region, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union |
| Spouse | Natalia Ravkova |
| Alma mater | |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Armed Forces of Belarus |
| Years of service | 1984–Present |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
Early life and career edit
In 1984, he graduated from Minsk Suvorov Military School. In 1988, he graduated with honors from the Moscow Higher Military Command School. He worked his way from the commander of the platoon to commander of the battalion. In 1999, he graduated with a gold medal from the Command and Staff Department of the Military Academy of Belarus. In 2005, he graduated with honours from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and was appointed commander of the 103rd Separate Guards Mobile Brigade. From 2006 to 2012 he served as Chief of the Operations Department and concurrently as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Western Operational Command. On 16 November 2012, he became Commander of the North Western Operational Command.[1] That year, he was elected to the Minsk regional council of deputies from Borisov. By order of President Alexander Lukashenko on 24 November 2014, he was appointed to the post of Minister of Defence.[2]
Activities as Minister of Defense edit
In the run-up to the 2015 Minsk Victory Day Parade, Ravkov ordered the changing of the open top inspection vehicle used on Victors Avenue from the traditional ZIL-41044 to the Hongqi L5, which is an official state car in China.[3] In 2017, after the death of a conscript soldier Alexander Korzhich due to repeated hazing, he reaffirmed his support in the conscription system while conceding that it needed changes due to the lack of recruits. In late September 2017, Ravkov presided over the Zapad 2017 exercise with Russia. He announced in November 2018 that the national defence plan for 2019 will be adjusted to come in line with the most recent military doctrine.[4]
In June 2019, he announced the entry of a bill in the House of Representatives, the largest of its provisions being a mechanism that institutes mandatory military service. In the substantiation of the law's draft, authored by Ravkov, the need to for this is justified by the fact that the chairmen of local executive authorities and their deputies head their own territorial defense zones. On 28 June 2019, the House of Representatives passed this bill in second reading. After the law enters into force, eligible graduates of higher educational institutions such as Belarusian State University are required to engage in military service immediately and will not be able to continue their postgraduate studies.[5][6][7][8][9] He was dismissed in January 2020, succeeding Stanislav Zas as Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus.[10]
Security Council chief edit
He was dismissed on 3 September 2020, being succeeded by the Chairman of the KGB, Valery Vakulchik.[11]
Post-military edit
On 19 November, he was appointed as the Ambassador to Azerbaijan.[12] On 16 February 2021, he presented his credentials to President Ilham Aliyev.[13][14]
International sanctions edit
In August 2020, Ravkov was put under sanctions by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania over his role in suppressing the 2020 Belarusian protests.[15][16] On 6 November 2020, he was sanctioned by the European Union,[17] the United Kingdom,[18] and Canada.[19] On 24 November, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania aligned themselves with the November EU sanctions against 15 Belarusian individuals,[20] while Switzerland did the same on 11 December.[21]
Dates of rank edit
| Insignia | Rank | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Colonel | 2004[22] | |
| Major General | 2011[23] | |
| Lieutenant General | 2015[24] |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ . Mil.by. Archived from the original on 23 October 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
- ^ Andrei Ravkov appointed Belarus' Defense Minister Belarusian Telegraph Agency
- ^ "Hongqi L5 Convertible Parade Car Debuts In Belarus". 17 May 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ . M.eng.belta.by. 2018-11-01. Archived from the original on 2019-07-08. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "Обратите внимание на воспитание детей не только для армии". Равков обратился к родителям
- ^ Равков: По результатам проверки в 16 частях после смерти Коржича заведено 48 дел
- ^ Министр обороны анонсировал изменения в отсрочках от армии. По здоровью останутся
- ^ . Archived from the original on 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
- ^ Минобороны закрепило в проекте закона требование только одной отсрочки от службы
- ^ "Leadership of military departments changed in Belarus".
- ^ "Belarusian leader reshuffles security chiefs in face of mass protests". Reuters.
- ^ "Personnel changes concern system of diplomatic missions of Belarus abroad and Interior Ministry".
- ^ "Ambassador of Belarus A.Ravkov presented his Credentials to the President of Azerbaijan - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus". mfa.gov.by. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
- ^ MENAFN. "Belarus always supported sovereignty, territorial integrity of Azerbaijan - ambassador". menafn.com. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
- ^ "XIII-3303 Резолюция о санкциях в отношении белорусских должностных лиц, ответственных или принимавших участ..." e-seimas.lrs.lt. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
- ^ Свабода, Радыё (2020-08-31). "Латвія, Літва і Эстонія ўключылі Лукашэнку і яшчэ 29 чыноўнікаў ў спіс пэрсон нон-грата. Поўны сьпіс". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Belarusian). Retrieved 2021-05-15.
- ^ Евросоюз ввел санкции против Лукашенко и ряда белорусских чиновников
- ^ "Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK" (PDF). Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
- ^ "Belarus sanctions". Government of Canada. 2020-11-06. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
- ^ "Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures against Belarus". Council of the European Union. 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
- ^ "Belarus: Federal Council extends scope of sanctions". Federal Council. 2020-12-11. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 2017-07-08. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
- ^ Указ Президента Республики Беларусь от 22 февраля 2011 г. № 63 «О присвоении О. А. Белоконеву воинского звания»
- ^ "Belarusian Defence Minister Promoted to Lieutenant General — Military information portal of the Ministry of Defence of Republic of Belarus". www.mil.by. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
External links edit
- Defense Ministry's official biography 2022-01-11 at the Wayback Machine