Anatoly Kulikov

Who is Anatoly Kulikov?

Anatoly Sergeevich Kulikov is a Russian General of the Army, former Interior Minister of Russia.

In 1992 Kulikov became Commander of the Interior Troops. Hence he was one of the commanders of pro-government forces during the 1993 Constitutional Crisis in Moscow and the First Chechen War. In early 1995 Kulikov was appointed commander of the Joint Group of Federal Forces in Chechnya and he commanded the Russian forces during the infamous Samashki massacre.

On July 6, 1995, after the Budyonnovsk hostage crisis, he succeeded Viktor Yerin as Interior Minister of Russia. In August 1996 Alexander Lebed, who had just been appointed Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, blamed Kulikov for the disastrous Battle of Grozny and requested President Boris Yeltsin sack him. However, Yeltsin declined his request and in October fired Lebed from his position. Eventually, Kulikov was dismissed in March 1998 along with the entire second cabinet of Viktor Chernomyrdin.

While most of the ministers of the old cabinet were reappointed to Sergei Kiriyenko's Cabinet, Kulikov wasn't and Sergei Stepashin became the next Interior Minister.