Marshal of Aviation Yevgeny Ivanovich Shaposhnikov (3 February 1942 – 8 December 2020) was a Soviet Air Forces officer who served as the final Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union in 1991. He was also the Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Air Forces from 1990 to 1991 and was the Commonwealth of Independent States Joint Forces Commander-in-Chief from 1992 to 1993.
Early years
Shaposhnikov was born on a farm near Aksay in Rostov Oblast, Russia. He graduated from the Kharkov Higher Military Aviation School in 1963 and the Gagarin Air Force Academy in 1969.
Military career
Shaposhnikov joined the Soviet Air Force and rose through the ranks. From March 1985 to June 1987 he commanded the Air Forces of the Odesa Military District. In 1987–1989, Yevgeny Shaposhnikov was the air force commander of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (16th Air Army?). In July 1990, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Soviet Air Force.