Oleksandr Tymofiyovych Kikhtenko (; 5 April 1956 – 16 October 2024) was a Ukrainian military leader and politician. He was a career officer of the

Internal Troops of Ukraine The Internal Troops of Ukraine (; ), abbreviated VV (), were a uniformed gendarmerie and Internal Troops in Ukraine. They were subordinate to the Chief Directorate of Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine), Ministry of Internal Affairs (the count ...

and a General of Army of Ukraine (2008). Kikhtenko served in the army since 1974 first in the

Soviet Army The Soviet Ground Forces () was the land warfare service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992. It was preceded by the Red Army. After the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, the Ground Forces remained under th ...

and then in the

Ukrainian Army The Ukrainian Ground Forces (SVZSU, ), also referred to as the Ukrainian army, is a land force, and one of the eight Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was formed from Ukrainian units of the Soviet Army after Declaratio ...

. In 1978 Kikhtenko graduated from the Frunze College of General Command (

Omsk Omsk (; , ) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia and has a population of over one million. Omsk is the third List of cities and tow ...

). In 1991 he graduated the faculty of intelligence of the M. V. Frunze Military Academy (

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

). After

fall of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of Nationalities, Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. :s: ...

, Kikhtenko continued to serve the

Armed Forces of Ukraine The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are the Military, military forces of Ukraine. All military and security forces, including the Armed Forces, are under the command of the president of Ukraine and subject to oversight by a permanent Verkhovna Rad ...

and was a chief of the Internal Troops administration in

Zaporizhzhia Oblast Zaporizhzhia Oblast (), commonly referred to as Zaporizhzhia (), is an oblast (region) in south-east Ukraine. Its administrative centre is the city of Zaporizhzhia. The oblast covers an area of , and has a population of The oblast is an import ...

. Since February 2005 he served as Commander of the

during the presidency of

Viktor Yushchenko Viktor Andriiovych Yushchenko (, ; born 23 February 1954) is a Ukrainian politician who was the third president of Ukraine from 23 January 2005 to 25 February 2010. He aimed to orient Ukraine towards Western world, the West, European Union, and N ...

, in 2007–2008 and 2010 Kikhtenko unprecedentedly was a member of the

National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, ( NSDCU; , ''RNBOU'') or RNBO, is the coordinating state body of the executive power under the President of Ukraine on issues of national security and defense. It is a state agency tasked wi ...

. After election of

Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych (born 9 July 1950) is a Ukrainian politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014. He also served as the prime minister of Ukraine several times between 2002 and 2007 and was a member of t ...

President of Ukraine The president of Ukraine (, ) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties. ...

in 2010, Kikhtenko was fired and retired from military service. On 10 October 2014, newly elected President of Ukraine

Petro Poroshenko Petro Oleksiiovych Poroshenko (born 26 September 1965) is a Ukraine, Ukrainian politician and Oligarchy, oligarch who served as the fifth president of Ukraine from 2014 to 2019. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Ukraine), Minister ...

appointed Kikhtenko as a

governor of Donetsk Oblast The governor of Donetsk Oblast is the head of executive branch for the Donetsk Oblast. Due to the current Russo-Ukrainian War Donetsk Oblast is, since 5 March 2015, assigned as a civil–military administration. Hence the governor of Donetsk Ob ...

. In 2014 he also topped the party list of the

Strength and Honor Strength and Honor (, SiCh) is a Ukrainian political party led by Ihor Smeshko. History Before the creation of the political party "Strength and Honor" Ihor Smeshko led the NGO "Strength and Honor". The party was officially registered as ...

party for the Ukrainian parliamentary election. On 11 June 2015, Kikhtenko was dismissed as a governor and replaced by Pavlo Zhebrivskyi. Kikhtenko died on 16 October 2024, at the age of 68.

References

External links

Oleksandr Kikhtenko: Commander of the Internal Troops of Ukraine
Lenta.ru. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kikhtenko, Oleksandr 1956 births 2024 deaths People from Bohodukhiv Frunze Military Academy alumni Generals of the Army (Ukraine) Governors of Donetsk Oblast Recipients of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 5th class Recipients of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd class Recipients of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of Danylo Halytsky