Rail Rzayev
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Rail Rzayev
| image =
| order =
| title = Commander of Azerbaijani Air and Air Defense Forces
| term_start = 1993
| term_end = February 11, 2009
| predecessor = office established
| successor = Altay Mehdiyev
| president = Heydar Aliyev
Ilham Aliyev
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1945|03|10}}
| birth_place = Salyan, Azerbaijan SSR, USSR
| death_date = {{death date and age|2009|02|11|1945|03|10}}
| death_place = Baku, Azerbaijan
| branch = 25px Azerbaijani Air Force
| serviceyears = 1966–2009
| rank = Lieutenant General
| battles =
}}
Lieutenant General Rail Rzayev ({{langx|az|Rail Qurban oğlu Rzayev}}; March 10, 1945[http://news.vestnik24.com/world/world_711071.html Unknown]{{Dead link | date=February 2025 | fix-attempted=yes}} – February 11, 2009) was the Commander of the Azerbaijani Air Force from shortly after Azerbaijan's independence in the early 1990s, to his death in 2009.
Early life
Rzayev was born on March 10, 1945, in Salyan, Azerbaijan. After completing his secondary education in Sumgayit in 1962, he was enrolled in the Aircraft Electronics and Communication Systems (FRELA) school of the Soviet Aviation Academy named after Orzhenikidze. After graduating from the academy in 1966, he was directed to serve at Baku Air Defense District. In Baku, he worked as the Senior Technician and then served as the Deputy Commander of a Division.
In 1975, he entered the Zhukov Air and Space Defence Academy. Upon graduation he was appointed a Division Commander and from 1980 through 1992, he held several high-ranking positions at various military units of the Soviet Air Force.{{cite web |url=http://www.adam.az/az.php?subaction=showfull&id=1242152730&archive= | title= Biographies. Rail Rzayev |accessdate=2010-12-07}}
Azerbaijani Air Force
In 1992, Rzayev started his career in Azerbaijani Armed Forces. He was appointed the Chief of Department of Azerbaijani Air and Air Defense Forces. According to the Presidential Decree from 1993, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan Republic and Commander of Azerbaijani Air and Air Defense Forces, a position which he held until his death in 2009.
Assassination
Lieutenant General Rzayev was shot and killed outside his Baku home on February 11, 2009.{{cite news|date=February 11, 2009|title=Azerbaijan air force head killed|work=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7882911.stm}} He was reportedly shot in the head at approximately 8 a.m. when a single shot was fired at the entrance to his home. He later died of his wounds in hospital. He was the most senior official to have been killed in the former Soviet Azerbaijan since the 1990s.{{Cite web |date=2009-02-11 |title=Air force chief shot dead |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20090211-air-force-chief-shot-dead- |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=France 24 |language=en}}{{Cite news |title=Head Of Azerbaijani Air Force Shot Dead |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/Head_Of_Azerbaijani_Air_Force_Shot_Dead/1491215.html |access-date=2025-04-28 |work=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty |language=en}}
Ranks and awards
In 1994, Rzayev was promoted to General Major, in 2002 he was given the rank of Lieutenant General. He's credited for his outstanding work in establishing and modernizing the Azerbaijani Air Force. He was awarded with Azerbaijani Flag Order and Veten Ughrunda Medal (In the Name of Motherland) for service to his country.{{cite web |url=http://e-qanun.az/print.php?internal=view&target=1&docid=12215&doctype=0 |title=Azərbaycan Respublikası Silahlı Qüvvələrinin hərbi qulluqçularının təltif edilməsi haqqında AZƏRBAYCAN RESPUBLİKASI PREZİDENTİNİN SƏRƏNCAMI |trans-title=Decree of President of Azerbaijan Republic on Awarding Servicemen of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces |accessdate=2011-01-06 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009184513/http://e-qanun.az/print.php?internal=view&target=1&docid=12215&doctype=0 |archivedate=2011-10-09 }}
References
{{reflist}}
{{General Staff of Azerbaijani Armed Forces}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rzayev, Rail}}
Category:21st-century Azerbaijani Air Forces personnel
Category:Azerbaijani military personnel of the Nagorno-Karabakh War
Category:People murdered in Azerbaijan
Category:Deaths by firearm in Azerbaijan
Category:Assassinated Azerbaijani people
Category:Recipients of the Azerbaijani Flag Order
Category:People from Salyan, Azerbaijan
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