Vladimir Vysotskiy (Admiral)

Vladimir Sergeyevich Vysotskiy Владимир Серге́евич Высоцкий, Володимир Сергійович Висоцький Volodymyr Serhiyovych Vysotskiy; (born 18 August 1954 in Komarno, Lviv Oblast, Ukrainian SSR) is a Russian admiral and former Commander of the Russian Northern Fleet. On 12 September 2007, Vysotskiy was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, succeeding Vladimir Masorin who retired at age 60 the same day.

Vysotskiy joined the Navy and graduated from the P.S. Nakhimov Black Sea Higher Naval School in Sevastopol in 1976. He was posted to the Russian Pacific Fleet where he served aboard patrol ships, frigates and the Sverdlov class cruiser Admiral Senyavin. In 1982 Vysotskiy completed the Advanced Officers Courses and was made Executive Officer of the Soviet aircraft carrier Minsk.

In 1990 Vysotskiy was a Gold Medal graduate of the N.G. Kuznetsov Naval Academy and posted as Commanding Officer of the Soviet aircraft carrier Minsk. Subsequently he commanded a squadron of Pacific Fleet missile ships. In 1999 he was a Gold Medal graduate of the General Staff Academy and appointed Chief of Staff and then Commander of the Russian Northern Fleet combined forces surface flotilla. In 2004 he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Baltic Fleet. In 2005 he was appointed Commander of the Northern Fleet and in 2007 Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy. In May 2012 he was succeeded as Commander-in-Chief by Admiral Viktor Chirkov.

Vysotskiy is married with two children.

Honours and awards

 * Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 4th class with Swords (1 October 2008)
 * Order of Military Merit
 * Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR, 3rd class