Alexander Nosatov

Admiral Aleksandr Mikhailovich Nosatov (born 27 March 1963) is a retired Russian Navy officer who was Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy from 2021 to 2024.

Born in Sevastopol, Nosatov's initial service was with the Soviet Navy's Pacific Fleet during the last years of the Soviet Union. He remained in the navy after its formation as a Russian military force, rising through the ranks and serving in a number of posts in the Pacific Fleet. Following studies at the Naval Academy, he took command of his own ship in 2000. Various staff appointments followed, before Nosatov transferred to the Black Sea Fleet as its deputy commander, and then chief of staff, in the early 2010s. He briefly became head of the Naval Academy in 2016, shortly before a purge of the Baltic Fleet's higher echelons that year. Having served for only just over a month as head of the academy, Nosatov was appointed acting commander of the Baltic Fleet, and subsequently confirmed in the post later that year. He was promoted to admiral in 2018, and has received several awards and decorations over his career.

Early life and education Nosatov was born on 27 March 1963 in Sevastopol, then part of the Ukrainian SSR, in the Soviet Union. He studied at the P. S. Nakhimov Black Sea Higher Naval School, graduating in 1985. Between 1986 and 1989 he commanded an anti-aircraft missile battery aboard the Sovremenny-class destroyer Stoykiy. Some fifty senior officers in the fleet were dismissed, briefly leaving Vice-Admiral Sergei Yeliseyev, a former deputy commander of the Ukrainian Navy prior to his defection to Russia during the Russian annexation of Crimea, as senior officer of the Baltic Fleet, before Nosatov took up his post. On 18 October 2016 he was presented with the ceremonial standard of the fleet. Nosatov was promoted to admiral on 12 December 2018. On 5 October 2021 Nosatov was appointed to the post of Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy. His replacement as commander of the Baltic Fleet was Vice-Admiral Viktor Liina.

Over his years of service Nosatov has been awarded the Order of Military Merit and the Order of Naval Merit, as well as various departmental medals.

Personal life He was one of the individuals targeted by sanctions over the Russo-Ukrainian war.

He was sanctioned by the UK government in 2014 in relation to the Russo-Ukrainian War.