Andrei Ravkov | |
|---|---|
 Ravkov in 2015 | |
| Ambassador ofBelarus toAzerbaijan | |
| Assumed office 16 February 2021 | |
| President | Alexander Lukashenko |
| Prime Minister | Roman Golovchenko Alexander Turchin |
| Preceded by | Sergei Aleinik |
| State Secretary of theSecurity Council of Belarus | |
| In office 20 January 2020 – 3 September 2020 | |
| President | Alexander Lukashenko |
| Prime Minister | Syarhey Rumas |
| Preceded by | Stanislav Zas |
| Succeeded by | Valery Vakulchik |
| Minister of Defence of Belarus | |
| In office 27 November 2014 – 20 January 2020 | |
| President | Alexander Lukashenko |
| Prime Minister | Andrei Kobyakov Syarhey Rumas |
| Preceded by | Yury Zhadobin |
| Succeeded by | Viktor Khrenin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1967-06-25)25 June 1967 (age 58) |
| Spouse | Natalia Ravkova |
| Alma mater | |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Armed Forces of Belarus |
| Years of service | 1984–Present |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
Lieutenant GeneralAndrei Alyakseyevich Ravkov (Belarusian:Андрэй Аляксеевіч Раўкоў, born on 25 June 1967 in Revyaki,Vitebsk Region) is a Belarusian General and military leader who last served as the State Secretary of theSecurity Council of Belarus in 2020.
In 1984, he graduated fromMinsk Suvorov Military School. In 1988, he graduated with honors from theMoscow Higher Military Command School. He worked his way from the commander of the platoon to commander of the battalion. In 1999, he graduated with a gold medal from the Command and Staff Department of theMilitary Academy of Belarus. In 2005, he graduated with honours from theMilitary Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and was appointed commander of the103rd Separate Guards Mobile Brigade. From 2006 to 2012 he served as Chief of the Operations Department and concurrently as Deputy Chief of Staff of theWestern Operational Command. On 16 November 2012, he became Commander of theNorth Western Operational Command.[1] That year, he was elected to the Minsk regional council of deputies fromBorisov. By order of PresidentAlexander Lukashenko on 24 November 2014, he was appointed to the post of Minister of Defence.[2]
In the run-up to the2015 Minsk Victory Day Parade, Ravkov ordered the changing of the open top inspection vehicle used onVictors Avenue from the traditional ZIL-41044 to theHongqi L5, which is an official state car inChina.[3] In 2017, after the death of a conscript soldier Alexander Korzhich due to repeatedhazing, he reaffirmed his support in the conscription system while conceding that it needed changes due to the lack of recruits. In late September 2017, Ravkov presided over theZapad 2017 exercise withRussia. He announced in November 2018 that the national defence plan for 2019 will be adjusted to come in line with the most recent military doctrine.[4]
In June 2019, he announced the entry of a bill in theHouse of Representatives, the largest of its provisions being a mechanism that institutes mandatory military service. In the substantiation of the law's draft, authored by Ravkov, the need to for this is justified by the fact that the chairmen of local executive authorities and their deputies head their own territorial defense zones. On 28 June 2019, the House of Representatives passed this bill in second reading. After the law enters into force, eligible graduates of higher educational institutions such asBelarusian State University are required to engage in military service immediately and will not be able to continue their postgraduate studies.[5][6][7][8][9] He was dismissed in January 2020, succeedingStanislav Zas as Secretary of theSecurity Council of Belarus.[10]
He was dismissed on 3 September 2020, being succeeded by the Chairman of theKGB,Valery Vakulchik.[11]
On 19 November, he was appointed as the Ambassador toAzerbaijan.[12] On 16 February 2021, he presented his credentials to PresidentIlham Aliyev.[13][14]
In August 2020, Ravkov was put under sanctions byEstonia,Latvia andLithuania over his role in suppressing the2020 Belarusian protests.[15][16] On 6 November 2020, he was sanctioned by theEuropean Union,[17] theUnited Kingdom,[18] andCanada.[19] On 24 November,Iceland,Liechtenstein,Norway,North Macedonia,Montenegro andAlbania aligned themselves with the November EU sanctions against 15 Belarusian individuals,[20] whileSwitzerland did the same on 11 December.[21]
| Insignia | Rank | Date |
|---|---|---|
 | Colonel | 2004[22] |
 | Major General | 2011[23] |
 | Lieutenant General | 2015[24] |