Ivan Kapitanets

Who is Ivan Kapitanets?

Ivan Matveyevich Kapitanets is a retired Soviet Navy Admiral of the Fleet

Kapitanets entered the Navy in 1946 and graduated from the Caspian Higher Naval School in 1950. On gradation he joined the Northern Fleet and served as torpedo officer on the destroyer Okrylenny. He completed the Advanced Special Officers' Course in 1958 and commanded the destroyers Ostry and Otryvisty of the Northern Fleet.

After completing the Naval Academy in 1961 he commanded a destroyer squadron of the Northern Fleet. Kapitanets graduated from the General Staff Academy in 1970 and was deputy commander of the 5th Operational Squadron between 1970 and 1973.

In 1973 Kapitanets was assigned to the Pacific Fleet and commanded the Kamchatka squadron. He was promoted to Vice Admiral in 1975.

Kapitanets was deputy commander of the Baltic Fleet in 1978 and commanded this fleet in 1981-85 when he was promoted to commander of the Northern Fleet. Kapitanets was made first deputy commander of the Soviet Navy and Admiral of the Fleet in 1988. He retired in 1992.

In retirement Kapitanets consults for the Russian Government on naval matters and is a member of the Academy of Military Sciences. He is also the author of several books on Russian naval history.