Viktor Cherkesov

1.1. Early Life and Education

Viktor Vasilyevich Cherkesov was born on July 13, 1950, in Leningrad, then part of the Russian SFSR within the Soviet Union, and now known as Saint Petersburg. He pursued higher education at the Law Department of Leningrad State University, from which he graduated in 1973.

1.2. Early Career: KGB Activities and Suppression of Dissidents

Cherkesov began his security service career in 1975, joining the KGB in Leningrad and its surrounding Leningrad Oblast. He served in this capacity until 1991, the year of the Soviet Union's collapse. During this period, Cherkesov was actively involved in operations targeting and prosecuting political dissidents. His work specifically included actions against members of the Democratic Union, a liberal opposition party formed in the late Soviet period. His role in suppressing political dissent highlights a consistent pattern in his career that prioritized state control over individual liberties.

1.3. Advancement within the Federal Security Service (FSB)

Following the dissolution of the KGB, Cherkesov transitioned into its successor organizations. From 1992 until August 1998, he led the Saint Petersburg Directorate of MBR/FSK/FSB, the successive iterations of the KGB's functions, succeeding Sergei Stepashin and being succeeded by Alexander Grigoryev. His leadership in Saint Petersburg coincided with the rise of many figures who would later become prominent in the Putin administration. Subsequently, from August 1998 to May 2000, Cherkesov served as the First Deputy Director of the FSB, working under both Vladimir Putin and later Nikolai Patrushev. This period was crucial as Putin, himself a former KGB officer, began consolidating power, and Cherkesov's proximity placed him at the heart of Russia's evolving security apparatus.

1.4. Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy and Head of Federal Drug Control Service

On May 18, 2000, with Vladimir Putin now serving as President, Cherkesov was appointed as the first presidential plenipotentiary envoy to the Northwestern Federal District. He held this significant regional administrative role until March 11, 2003, when he was succeeded by Valentina Matviyenko. His next major appointment came on March 11, 2003, when he was named the head of the State Committee for the Control of the Circulation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances of the Russian Federation. This agency was later reorganized in March 2004, becoming the Federal Drug Control Service of Russia, of which he was the first head. Cherkesov remained its head until May 12, 2008. In an international engagement, he visited Japan on July 6, 2006, where he met with then-Foreign Minister Tarō Asō to discuss collaborative efforts in combating drug trafficking.

2.1. "Siloviki War" and Internal Conflicts

In early October 2007, a major internal power struggle, often referred to as the "siloviki war," erupted within the Russian security agencies. Several senior officers of the Federal Drug Control Service, which Cherkesov led, were arrested by agents of the FSB. This event was widely interpreted by analysts as a manifestation of a long-standing conflict between Viktor Cherkesov and Igor Sechin, along with other influential members of Vladimir Putin's inner circle. The intensity of this conflict was further underscored on October 27, 2007, when two officers of the Russian Drug Enforcement Administration were poisoned to death, a tragic incident linked to this escalating power struggle among competing factions of the siloviki. Political observers, including Vladimir Pribylovsky, pointed to the arrests and poisonings as clear signs of an intense internal battle. Economist Mikhail Delyagin characterized the broader political system in Russia as a continuous struggle between various clans and groups, each striving to ensure Putin's continued power according to their own agenda, rather than their rivals'.

2.2. Kommersant Op-ed Controversy

The internal conflicts came to a head on October 9, 2007, when an article signed by Cherkesov was published in the influential Russian newspaper Kommersant. In the op-ed, Cherkesov made several provocative claims. He argued that the criminal charges against the detained Federal Drug Enforcement Administration officials were an exception, not the rule, suggesting a systemic problem within the security services rather than isolated incidents. More significantly, he warned that the escalating turf battle among the secret services could severely undermine the nation's stability. Most controversially, Cherkesov proposed that the only realistic and relatively favorable scenario for Russia's future was its continued evolution into a "corporatist state" ruled by security services officials. This explicit advocacy for a governance model dominated by security agencies sparked considerable debate and concern regarding the direction of Russia's political system, implicitly challenging democratic norms by suggesting that national stability should be preserved through a strong, centralized security apparatus.

Vladimir Putin, in turn, publicly chastised Cherkesov for the article. During a televised "Direct Line with Vladimir Putin" program, Putin stated that "one who makes claims about the secret service war must first themselves be blameless," implying that Cherkesov might not be entirely innocent of the very internal conflicts he was lamenting. This public rebuke indicated a shift in Cherkesov's standing within Putin's inner circle and foreshadowed his eventual dismissal from his key position.

3.1. Dismissal and Subsequent Activities

On May 12, 2008, Viktor Cherkesov was dismissed from his position as Head of the Federal Drug Control Service by President Dmitry Medvedev. His dismissal was widely perceived as a direct consequence and retaliation for his controversial Kommersant op-ed, in which he had publicly exposed and commented on the infighting within Putin's inner circle. Immediately following his dismissal, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin appointed Cherkesov as the Head of the Federal Agency for the Procurement of Military and Special Equipment. This appointment was generally viewed as a demotion, moving him from a powerful law enforcement role to a more administrative and less influential position within the government. Cherkesov was succeeded as head of the Federal Drug Control Service by Viktor Ivanov.

3.2. Death

Viktor Cherkesov died in his hometown of Saint Petersburg on November 8, 2022. He was 72 years old at the time of his death.