From April 2017 to April 2019, he served as the Chief of Staff of the district, as well as the commander of the district troops during his absence
TASS, November 16. Hero of Russia Colonel-General Alexander Chaiko has been appointed commander of the troops of the Eastern Military District (VVO). This was reported on Tuesday by the press service of the VVO.
"Today, State Secretary - Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Nikolai Pankov presented the new commander of the troops to the leadership of the district in the hall of the Military Council of the headquarters of the Eastern Military District in Khabarovsk. During the solemn ceremony, Colonel-General Gennady Zhidko handed over the standard of the commander of the troops to Colonel-General Alexander Chaiko," the message reads.
Pankov noted that the new commander is an experienced leader who knows the Eastern Military District well. In the period from April 2017 to April 2019, he served as the Chief of staff of the district, as well as the commander of the district troops during his absence.
"Today, the troops of the Eastern Military District are entrusted with important tasks to protect Russia's national interests on its eastern borders. I wish the new commander and the entire personnel of the Eastern Military District success in solving the tasks," Pankov added.
Colonel-General Chaiko served as Deputy commander of the combined Arms Army of the Central Military District. Since July 2014, he commanded the combined arms army of the Western Military District. In April 2017, he was appointed Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of the Eastern Military District.
Hero of Russia Chaiko twice commanded a Russian group in Syria - from 2019 to 2020 and from February to June 2021. Since February 2019, he has been Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, where he was responsible for resolving problematic issues in Syria. On June 11, 2021, Chaiko was awarded the rank of Colonel-General by presidential decree. In addition to the title of Hero of Russia, he was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland of the III degree with swords, the Order of Merit for the Fatherland of the IV degree with swords, the Order of Suvorov, the Order of Military Merit.