Vladimir Kasatonov | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kasatonov in 2016 | |
| Born | 17 June 1962 Moscow, Russian SFSR, USSR |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union Russia |
| Service |  Soviet Navy Russian Navy |
| Years of service | 1984–present |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | N. G. Kuznetsov Naval Academy |
| Awards | Order of Military Merit Order of Naval Merit |
Vladimir Lvovich Kasatonov (Russian: Владимир Львович Касатонов; born 17 June 1962) is an officer of the Russian Navy. He currently holds the rank of admiral, and since 2019 has served as deputy commander in chief of the navy.
Born into a family with a distinguished military past, Kasatonov studied at naval institutions in Leningrad and on the Black Sea, before joining the navy's Northern Fleet. Much of his early service was spent aboard the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Kirov, rising through the ranks to eventually serve as her assistant commander. During his time with the ship he served through search and rescue operations for two Soviet submarines, the K-219 in 1986 and the Komsomolets in 1989. After service with the 5th Operational Squadron and undertaking the navy's Higher Special Officer Classes, Kasatonov went on to take up his own commands, firstly the destroyer Gremyashchy, and then her sister ship Rastoropny. After further study at the Naval Academy, he was appointed head of the department of the mobilization at the Northern Fleet headquarters, before becoming captain of the battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy in 2000.
It was during exercises in August 2000, led by the admiral aboard the Pyotr Velikiy, that the submarine K-141 Kursk suffered a fatal accident and sank. Kasatonov's ship was the first to locate the stricken submarine sixteen hours after her sinking and became the command ship for the recovery efforts. He continued in command of Pyotr Velikiy until 2005, having been promoted to rear-admiral during this period. He then took up staff positions with the Northern Fleet's missile ship division and carried out several long distance voyages with divisions of ships. He became chief of staff and first deputy commander of the Pacific Fleet in 2012, and in 2016 took up the position of head of the Naval Academy. This was followed by his posting in 2019 to be deputy commander in chief of the navy. He has received numerous medals over his career, as well as the Orders of Military Merit and Naval Merit. His life, as well as those of his relatives, is commemorated in a museum in Belenikhino, Belgorod Oblast.