On June 22, 2010, President Medvedev appointed Lt.-Gen. Sergei Viktorovich Karakayev the new Commander of the Strategic Rocket Forces. Before the appointment, Karakayev served as the chief of staff and first deputy commander of the Strategic Rocket Forces. He replaced Lt.-Gen. Andrei Shvaichenko, who was appointed to this post less than a year ago, in August 2009.