The spokesman said Colonel General Matvei Burlakov, currently the commander of Russian forces in Germany, would take up his post in September after the troops return to Russia from Germany.
His appointment, which was backed by Defense Minister Pavel Grachev, had been resisted by reformers, including the military historian and former adviser to President Boris Yeltsin, General Dmitry Volkogonov, who have been pressing for civilians to be appointed to senior posts in the ministry.
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