He replaced Viktor Afzalov, who has held this position since 2023. The change in this position (the commander of the aerospace forces commands, among others, air defense forces) may be related to the ongoing Ukrainian attacks on the Russian hinterland and the failure of the campaign against the Ukrainian energy sector, launched in the fall of 2025, says military analyst Kirill Mikhailov.
Information about Czajka was reported by independent Russian media and has not yet been confirmed by the Kremlin, perhaps due to the upcoming Victory Day celebrations and the related concerns of Russians.
Before Afzalov, this position was held by General Sergei Surovikin, who fell out of favor after the Wagner Group rebellion.
Who is Czajko?
It is not related to aviation. Previously, he served as deputy army commander in the Central Military District, army commander in the Western Military District and first deputy commander of the Eastern Military District.
In 2015, Czajko was the first chief of staff of the Russian troop group in Syria. From 2019 to 2021, he commanded the entire Russian contingent in Syria.
Human Rights Watch held him responsible for attacks on hospitals and schools and the use of imprecise weapons in areas inhabited by civilians. In 2020, according to “Izvestia”, he received the title of Hero of Russia from Vladimir Putin for his participation in the war in Syria.
During the invasion of Ukraine, he led the attack of Russian troops on Kyiv. According to Reuters, he gave orders for purges in Bucha. In March 2026, the European Union placed him under sanctions, considering him one of those responsible for the mass murders in Bucha.
Already in November 2024, when the regime of Bashar al-Assad was falling in Syria, he went there to support Sergei Kisiel, who commanded the troops in the country. There he posed for photos while laying flowers, which, in the conditions of the collapse of the front, looked – as the Telegram channel associated with the Ministry of Defense “Rybari” wrote – “like a grim joke”.
Why now?
— It is the aerospace forces that are responsible for the country's air defense, says Mikhailov. — One of the reasons for the change of commander may be the loud Ukrainian strikes on Russian facilities in recent months.
As an example, the analyst points to the attack on the Shagol airport in the Chelyabinsk region, where – according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces – Su-57 and Su-34 fighters were destroyed.
The expert considers the campaign against the Ukrainian energy sector to be another failure of the Russian Aerospace Forces. According to him, the attacks have been ongoing since November 2025, but they have not led to the collapse of the Ukrainian energy system. However, in this case, part of the responsibility for implementing the plan rests with the Unmanned Systems Troops (i.e. those responsible for Russian drones), Mikhailov notes.
In general, as the expert emphasizes, the Russian Aerospace Forces are currently using all available means to support the Russian offensive on the front, and any serious change in strategy would lead to irreversible losses of Russian combat aviation. Additionally, according to the expert, the appointment as commander of the Aerospace Forces of a general “whose connections with aviation are not publicly known, apart from his service in Syria, where Russian aviation operated with total air superiority” is controversial.
