Born November 13, 1945 in the village of Atamysh of the Arsk District in the Tatar Republic. Graduated from: the Kazan Tank School named after Tatarstan's Supreme Soviet; the Military Academy of Armoured Forces named after Marshal of the Soviet Union Malinovsky; and the General Staff Military Academy. Currently holds the rank of colonel-general. Has served in command posts in the airborne troops. In 1985 was appointed commander of the Eighth Army. In 1987 became the head of staff and first deputy troop leader of the Leningrad Military District before becoming commander of the Airborne Troops two years later. In 1990 became deputy defence minister of the USSR overseeing the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Eastern Europe and the army's actions in extraordinary and extreme situations. Decorated with the orders of the 'Red Star', and 'For Serving the Motherland in the Military Forces' of the third degree. Has a good command of the German language.
Commanded troops in January 1990 when a wave of anti-Armenian pogroms swept the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, and when Soviet troops, as was reported afterwards, entered the city after a long delay with unnecessary bloodshed. Personally thinks Baku bloodshed was the fault of local law enforcers. In January 1991 was sent to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius to coordinate military action. On August 16, 1991 was informed by the Soviet Defence Minister Dmitry Yazov about the planned actions of the Committee of State Emergency. Took part in the August 17 conference at which it was decided to start implementing the plans of the Committee of State Emergency on August 18. Prepared the August 18 conference of the military command at which Yazov reported the plans of the Committee. On August 19, at Yazov's command, used special forces from the Airborne Troops to gain control of the Ostankino TV-centre in Moscow.
On December 27 the Supreme Soviet turned down a request by the Russian prosecutor general to strip Achalov of his parliamentary immunity in connection with the actions of the Committee of State Emergency. The prosecutor's repeated request was turned down in February 1992. After Boris Yeltsin issued a decree dissolving the parliament in September 1993, Achalov was appointed defence minister by the order of parliamentary chairman Aleksander Rutskoi. However, Achalov failed to make the Military Forces follow orders. He remained in custody over charges of organizing a mass insurgency until an amnesty was announced in February 1994.
Presently works as a chairman of the Bratstvo (Brotherhood) Military-Patriotic Fund.
Maltsev Igor Mikhailovich
Born on August 6, 1935 in the town of Balashikha in the Moscow Region. Graduated from the Bataisk Military School for Fighter Pilots; the Yuri Gagarin Air Force Academy; and the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Military Forces of the USSR. Served in the Anti-Aircraft Defence Troops of the Moscow and Lipetsk Regions, as well as in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, the Urals, the Russian Far East, and Moscow city. His military career went from fighter pilot to the first deputy commander of the Anti-Aircraft Defence Troops and chief of general staff of the Anti-Aircraft Defence Troops. In August 1991 Maltsev supported the Committee of State Emergency for which he was dismissed from his post and from the ranks of the military as politically unreliable.
Was elected a people's deputy of the Russian Federation for the 1990-1993 term, participating with the Fatherland faction. After the Supreme Soviet was dismissed in October 1993 Maltsev took part in creating the public military-patriotic organization The All-Russian Officer's Assembly. Also participated in founding the Movement for Support of the Army (DPA).
Presently works as a deputy chairman of the DPA.
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