Commander of the Russian Air Force

The Commander of the Russian Air Force (Russian: Командующий ВВС, romanized: Komanduyushchiy VVS) is the chief commanding authority of the Russian Air Force. Before 2015, when the former branch became an arm of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the title was Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force (Russian: Главнокомандующий ВВС, romanized: Glavnokomanduyushchiy VVS). The holder of the office is appointed by the President of Russia.

Commander of Russian Air Force
Командующий ВВС
Flag of the Commander of the Russian Air Force
Incumbent Lieutenant General Sergey Kobylash since 24 July 2024
Russian Air Force
Member of	General Staff of the Armed Forces
Reports to	Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces
Appointer	President of Russia
Formation	June 9, 1917 (historical) August 1991 (current form)

The position dates to the Russian Revolution in 1917.

List of Commanders

Chief of the Air Service of the Russian Republic

No.	Portrait	Chief	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Tkachov, VyacheslavLieutenant Colonel Vyacheslav Tkachov (1885–1965)	9 June 1917	19 November 1917	5 months
2		Ulyanin, SergeyMajor General Sergey Ulyanin (1871–1921)	19 November 1917	March 1918	3 months

Chief of the Air Force of the Red Army

No.	Portrait	Chief	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Solovov, MikhailColonel Mikhail Solovov [ru] (1879–1941)	March 1918	1 August 1918	5 months
2		Solovov, MikhailColonel Alexander Vorotnikov [ru] (1878–1940)	1 August 1918	13 June 1919	10 months
3		Akashev, KonstantinColonel Konstantin Akashev (1888–1931)	March 1920	February 1921	11 months
4		Sergeyev, AndreyColonel Andrey Sergeyev (1893–1933)	February 1921	October 1922	1 year, 8 months
5		Znamensky, AndreyColonel Andrey Znamensky [ru] (1887–1943)	October 1922	July 1923	9 months
6		Rosengolts, ArkadyColonel Arkady Rosengolts (1889–1938)	July 1923	December 1924	1 year, 5 months
7		Baranov, PyotrColonel Pyotr Baranov (1892–1933)	December 1924	June 1931	6 years, 6 months
8		Alksnis, YakovKomandarm 1st rank Yakov Alksnis (1897–1938)	June 1931	23 November 1937	6 years, 5 months
9		Loktionov, AlexanderAleksandr Loktionov (1893–1941)	23 November 1937	19 November 1939	1 year, 11 months
10		Smushkevich, YakovLieutenant General Yakov Smushkevich (1902–1941)	19 November 1939	August 1940	8 months
11		Rychagov, PavelLieutenant General Pavel Rychagov (1911–1941)	August 1940	24 June 1941	10 months
12		Zhigarev, PavelColonel General Pavel Zhigarev (1900–1963)	24 June 1941	11 April 1942	9 months
13		Novikov, AlexanderChief marshal of the aviation Alexander Novikov (1900–1976)	11 April 1942	22 April 1946	4 years

Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Air Force

No.	Portrait	Commander-in-Chief	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1		Vershinin, KonstantinMarshal of the aviation Konstantin Vershinin (1900–1973)	1946	September 1949	2–3 years	.
2		Zhigarev, PavelChief marshal of the aviation Pavel Zhigarev (1900–1963)	1949	1957	7–8 years	.
3		Vershinin, KonstantinChief marshal of the aviation Konstantin Vershinin (1900–1973)	1957	1969	11–12 years	.
4		Kutakhov, PavelChief marshal of the aviation Pavel Kutakhov (1914–1984)	March 1969	3 December 1984 †	15 years	.
5		Yefimov, AlexanderMarshal of the aviation Alexander Yefimov (1923–2012)	3 December 1984	July 1990	5 years	.
6		Shaposhnikov, YevgenyColonel general Yevgeny Shaposhnikov (1942–2020)	July 1990	August 1991	1 year	[1]

Commander-in-Chief of the Commonwealth of Independent States' Air Force

No.	Portrait	Commander-in-Chief	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1		Deynekin, PyotrColonel general Pyotr Deynekin (1937–2017)	25 August 1991	19 August 1992	237 days	[2]

Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force

No.	Portrait	Commander-in-Chief	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1		Deynekin, PyotrArmy general Pyotr Deynekin (1937–2017)	19 August 1992	22 January 1998	5 years, 156 days	[2]
2		Deynekin, PyotrArmy general Anatoly Kornukov (1942–2014)	22 January 1998	21 January 2002	3 years, 364 days	[3]
3		Deynekin, PyotrArmy general Vladimir Sergeyevich Mikhaylov (born 1943)	21 January 2002	9 May 2007	5 years, 108 days	.
4		Zelin, AlexanderColonel general Alexander Zelin (born 1953)	9 May 2007	27 April 2012	4 years, 354 days	.
5		Bondarev, ViktorColonel general Viktor Bondarev (born 1959)	6 May 2012	1 August 2015	3 years, 87 days	[4]

Commander of the Air Force – Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces

Main article: Russian Aerospace Forces

No.	Portrait	Commander	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1		Yudin, AndreiLieutenant general Andrei Yudin (born 1962)	1 August 2015	c. July 2019[a]	3 years, 11 months	[8]
2		Dronov, SergeyLieutenant general Sergey Dronov (born 1962)	c. July 2019[a]	24 July 2024	~5 years	[9][10]
3		Kobylash, SergeyLieutenant general Sergey Kobylash (born 1965)	24 July 2024	Incumbent	11 months	[11]

Notes

1. No official date given for Yudin leaving office. Estimated between 28 June 2019^[5] and 9 July 2019.^[6] Dronov appointed Commander on 18 April 2019.^[7]