By presidential decree of November 22, 2017, Colonel-General Sergei Surovikin, formerly commander of the EMD troops and to this day heading the Russian grouping of troops in Syria, was appointed as commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
Since June 2004, Sergei Surovikin commanded the 42nd Guards Division stationed on the territory of the Chechen Republic. Then he commanded the 20th All-Arms Army.
In November 2008, he was appointed as Chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Since January 2010, he held the post of Chief of Staff of the Volga-Urals, and later the Central Military District. Since April 2012, he served in the central office of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. In October 2012 he was appointed as Chief of Staff – First Deputy Commander of the Eastern Military District. Since October 2013 – Commander of the EMD troops.
Under the command of Colonel General Sergei Surovikin, the Russian grouping of troops in Syria, in cooperation with the Syrian armed forces, has achieved maximum success in the fight against international terrorism.