Igor Kostyukov
Russian admiral (b. 1961)
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Admiral Igor Olegovich Kostyukov (Russian: И́горь Оле́гович Костюко́в; born 21 February 1961) is a Russian naval officer who has served as the director of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (formerly known as the GRU) since 2018.
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Andrey Belousov
21 February 1961 (age 65)
Igor Kostyukov | |
|---|---|
Игорь Костюков | |
Official portrait, 2012 | |
| Director of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces | |
| Assumed office 22 November 2018 | |
| President | Vladimir Putin |
| Defence Minister | Sergey Shoygu Andrey Belousov |
| Preceded by | Igor Korobov |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Igor Olegovich Kostyukov 21 February 1961 (age 65) |
Awards | Hero of Russian Federation |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Soviet Union (to 1991) Russia |
| Branch/service | Soviet Navy Russian Navy |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | Main Directorate of the General Staff |
| Battles/wars | |
Early life and education
Kostyukov was born on 21 February 1961 in the Amur Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. His education included a naval school and the Military Diplomatic Academy of the Soviet Armed Forces (present-day Military University of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation).[1]
Military career
After graduating from the Military Diplomatic Academy, he served in the Main Intelligence Directorate, or GRU (since 2010 known as the Main Directorate, or GU). In 2004 Kostyukov was a military attaché at the Russian embassy in Athens, Greece. In 2017 he was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation for his role in the Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war.[1] He eventually became the deputy director of the Main Directorate, with the rank of vice admiral.[1][2]
Director of the Main Directorate
Kostyukov was appointed the acting director of the Main Directorate on 22 November 2018 following the death of his predecessor Igor Korobov and is a noted hardliner. This posting also made him the first naval officer in the history of the GRU to lead the organization.[3][4] He was further promoted to the rank of admiral in 2019.[2] He was in charge of security during President Vladimir Putin's visit to Syria in January 2020.[1]
On 25 March 2022, former Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov claimed that Kostyukov and Russian defence minister Sergey Shoigu had suffered a sudden illness, stating, "The symptoms of both are exactly the same - heartburn, shortness of breath."[5] The Moscow Times considered Kostyukov to have disappeared from public view in mid-March together with other senior siloviki (key Russian security officials), including Sergey Shoigu, Viktor Zolotov and Valery Gerasimov.[6]
In January and February 2026, he led the Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for peace negotiations with Ukraine, where he met with Rustem Umerov and Kyrylo Budanov.[7] In April 2026, he was present at the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.[8]
Personal life
In December 2016 he was sanctioned by the United States over alleged Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. In March 2022, during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kostyukov was placed on a European Union "blacklist".[9]
Awards and decorations
Hero of the Russian Federation[1]
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (2nd class)[1]
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (3rd class)[1]
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (4th class)[1]
Order of Alexander Nevsky[1]
Order of Courage[1]
Order of Honour[1]
