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The President’s message of congratulations reads in particular:

“You have devoted your entire life to our country’s Armed Forces and to strengthening our state’s defence capability and security. As commander of the country’s Military Space Forces and in other senior posts you have unfailingly shown yourself to be an experienced, competent and initiative-taking leader and a man of energy and purpose.”

Mr Putin said he is sure that Mr Ivanov’s great professional and personal qualities will help him continue to make a worthy contribution to developing the missile and space sector and the Russian defence industry in general.

Military and space specialists know Colonel-General Ivanov above all as commander of the Defence Ministry’s space forces. Mr Ivanov became commander of Russia’s Space Forces in 1992. From 1986 to 1999, he was chairman of the State Commission for ensuring the flights to and operation of the Mir Space Station.