Vladimir Kuroyedov, Russian admiral of the fleet and former Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, died on February 5, 2026, at the age of 81.
Kuroyedov led the navy from 1997 to 2005, after serving as chief of staff of the Baltic Fleet from 1993 to 1996, commander of the Pacific Fleet from 1996 to 1997, and Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy in 1997. Born on September 5, 1944, in Bamburovo, Primorsky Krai, he graduated from the Pacific Higher Naval School in 1967 and later completed studies at the Grechko Naval Academy and the Voroshilov General Staff Academy.
He was the second officer to be promoted to admiral of the fleet in the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Ivanovich Kuroyedov (Russian: Владимир Иванович Куроедов; 5 September 1944 – 5 February 2026) was a Russian admiral of the fleet who was Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy from 1997 to 2005. His previous roles included chief of staff of the Baltic Fleet from 1993 to 1996, commander of the Pacific Fleet from 1996 to 1997, and Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy in 1997. He started his career in the Soviet Navy by graduating from the Pacific Higher Naval School in 1967 and mostly served in the Pacific Fleet, later becoming a graduate of the Grechko Naval Academy and the Voroshilov General Staff Academy. He was the second officer to be promoted to admiral of the fleet in the Russian Federation. His tenure as the head of the navy coincided with several major accidents, most notably the Kursk submarine disaster in 2000.