Igor Sergeyev, at 68; served as Russia's defense minister

November 11, 2006|Associated Press

MOSCOW -- Igor Sergeyev, who served as Russia's defense minister in the turbulent 1990s, died yesterday, military officials said. He was 68.

Mr. Sergeyev died in Burdenko military hospital in Moscow, according to a Defense Ministry official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

The ITAR-Tass news agency said Mr. Sergeyev had died of cancer.

Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov began an official meeting yesterday by calling for a moment of silence to honor him.

Mr. Sergeyev, a career military officer, served as a senior officer with Soviet missile forces in the 1980s and was named commander of Russian Strategic Missile Forces in 1992, following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

President Boris Yeltsin named Mr. Sergeyev defense minister in May 1997, and he served on the job until March 2001, struggling to maintain a bloated, underfunded military with poor morale.

Mr. Sergeyev reached the nation's highest military rank, marshal, and was the only Russian military officer in active service to hold it.