Serhiy Kirichenko

General of Army of Ukraine Serhiy Kirichenko (born May 4, 1952) was the 9th Chief of the General Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Early career
Sergiy Kirichenko was born on February 25, 1952 in Novoselivka, a small village in the Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine to a working-class family.

Education
In 1973 Sergiy Kirichenko graduated from Kharkiv Armour Command school. In 1983 he graduated from command faculty of Marshal of the USSR Malinovskiy’s Armour Force Academy. In 2000 Sergiy Kirichenko graduated from the faculty of preparation of the operational-strategic level officers’ of the National Academy of Defence of Ukraine with golden medal.

Assignments
Sergiy Kirichenko started his military carrier in Kiev Military District as commander of armour platoon. During 1975–1992, he occupied positions of armour company commander, chief of staff of armour battalion, chief of staff of armour regiment, commander of armour regiment and deputy division commander.

In 1992, after the fall of the Soviet Union, he joined the newly established Armed Forces of Ukraine. Until 2002, he served as commander of 128th mechanized division, chief of staff of the Army Corps and commander of the 13th Army Corps.

April 2002 Sergiy Kirichenko was assigned on position of Deputy of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was promoted to position of the Chief of the General Staff – the first Deputy of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in January 2003 and remained in that position until July 2004.

On June 6, 2005 by Decree # 961/2005 of the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko, he was assigned to be the Chief of the General Staff – Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Dates of rank

 * Lieutenant, : 1973
 * Colonel, 128th Mechanized Division:
 * Major General, : August 23, 1995
 * Lieutenant General, 13th Army Corps: 2002
 * Colonel General, General Staff: January 2005
 * General of Army of Ukraine, General Staff: August 21, 2007

Awards and decorations
Sergiy Kirichenko earned the following decorations and awards:
 * 10YearsServiceRibbon.gif 10 Years Military Service
 * 15YearsServiceRibbon.gif 15 Years Military Service
 * 20YearsServiceRibbon.gif 20 Years Military Service
 * Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky Third Class – August 21, 2006
 * For perfect service ІІІ-rd grade
 * 10 years of Ukrainian Armed Forces
 * Decoration of the Minister of Defense “Veteran of military service”