On December 11, 2021, Fyodor I. Ladygin Colonel-General (retired) passed away, former head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (1992-1997). Fyodor Ivanovich was 84 years old.
Fyodor I. Ladygin (10.03.1937 – 11.12.2021) is a Soviet and Russian military and statesman. He worked for more than 40 years in the structures of the Armed Forces of the USSR / Russia. So, he served in the Research Institute of the Strategic Missile Forces, in the Central Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, in 1990-1992 he headed the International Treaty Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
In the period from 1992 to 1997, he was the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. During his military career, Fyodor Ivanovich contributed to the preparation of international treaties and agreements in the field of arms control and disarmament. Among them are the Treaty on the Limitation of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE, 1990), the Strategic Offensive Arms Reduction Treaty (START-1, 1991), the Open Skies Treaty (DON, 1992), the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and Their Destruction (CWC, 1993). As the director and founder of the PIR Center Vladimir Orlov recalls, his colleagues noted: “A representative of the Russian military elite, Colonel-General Ladygin, unlike many of his colleagues, has qualities such as modesty and lack of swagger and arrogance.” And Fyodor Ivanovich himself, according to Vladimir Orlov, considered himself just a military intelligence officer. “Any military intelligence officer comes to intelligence once and stays there forever,” he liked to repeat.
In 2002, Fedor Ivanovich, already retired, joined PIR Center Advisory Board. A long-time friend of PIR Center, he actively participated in the organization’s expert events, openly shared his experience and knowledge with younger generations of specialists in the field of nuclear nonproliferation, disarmament and global security. Thus, in 2014, PIR Center Security Index (Issue No. 4 (111), volume 20) published an article by Fedor Ladygin Reducing Strategic Offensive Arms: the History and Lessons of the first treaty. In 2017 Fyodor Ivanovich, as an adviser to the CEO of Sukhoi Aviation Holding Company, took part in the session The Concept of a Disarming Strike in a New Era within the framework of the international seminar Breakthrough Technologies, the Future of Deterrence and Challenges to Strategic Stability (organized by the PIR Center, the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Edmund Walsh School of Diplomatic Service of Georgetown University, USA). In 2019 he made comments at a joint seminar of the PIR Center and the Center for Strategic International Studies (USA) on How to reduce the risks of nuclear confrontation in the conditions of increasing rivalry of great powers?. “Well, Ladygin lights up!”, – his interlocutors- generals joked then,” Vladimir Orlov recalls.
“Blessed memory to a colleague with whom I have known for more than 40 years,” – Evgeny P. Buzhinsky, Chairman of PIR Center Executive Board, Lieutenant General of the Reserve, Candidate of Military Sciences.
“Blessed memory. He lived a big, complicated and interesting life. Worthy, despite all the circumstances,” – Dmitry G. Evstafiev, member of the PIR Center Advisory Board.
“PIR Center, colleagues and associates of Fyodor Ladygin have lost a talented head of military intelligence, a diplomat-negotiator on START and other issues, a wonderful person. Blessed memory”, – Vasily Lata, PIR Center Consultant, Doctor of Military Sciences.
“Blessed memory! He was a wonderful, bright man! With their opinions, views, understanding of the situation in the country and the world. RIP”, – Vladimir Lebedev, acting adviser to the Mayor of Moscow.
“A bright memory to a bright person! I am proud that I knew him, interviewed him, called with a request for advice, and always met with a friendly, open and frank (within reasonable limits) conversation, where the senior officer never demonstrated his superior position. I keep his books with an inscription in my library. Goodbye, dear Fyodor Ivanovich! May the earth be down to you!”, – Viktor Litovkin, military observer.
“Blessed memory to a comrade–in-arms,” – Vyacheslav Trubnikov, member of PIR Center Advisory Board, Army General, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Hero of the Russian Federation.
