Gennady Shpigun
Russian general (1947–2000)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
General Gennady Nikolayevich Shpigun (Russian: Геннадий Николаевич Шпигун; February 5, 1947 – ca. March 2000) was the Russian Interior Ministry's special representative in Chechnya.
Gennady Nikolaevich Shpigun | |
|---|---|
 Gennady Spigun's grave in Preobrazhenskoe Cemetery | |
| Native name | Геннадий Николаевич Шпигун |
| Born | February 5, 1947 |
| Died | March 2000 (aged 53) |
Buried | Preobrazhenskoe Cemetery, Moscow |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union→ Russia |
Branch | Ministry of Internal Affairs |
Service years | 1984–2000 |
Rank | Major General |
Conflicts | First Chechen War |
He was kidnapped from the airport in Grozny on March 5, 1999, when armed masked men boarded his plane as it was about to leave for Moscow.[1] Shpigun's kidnappers, reported at various times to be different Chechen rebel warlords (Shamil Basaev, Arbi Barayev, Magomed Khatuev), demanded a ransom of US$15 million for his release.[2][3]
On March 31, 2000, his body was found in southern Chechnya, near the village of Itum-Kale.[4] Neither the exact cause nor the date of his death could be determined. In June 2000, he was buried in Moscow's Preobrazhenskoe Cemetery.[5]
