Chief of Russian Defense Ministry's Top Secret Submarine Department Dies - Source

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2020) Vice Adm. Alexey Burilichev, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry's main directorate of deep-sea research, the highly classified submarine intelligence service, passed away at the age of 63 amid suspicions he had contracted the coronavirus, a source from military-medical circles told Sputnik on Thursday.

"Last night, Hero of Russia Vice Adm. Alexey Burilichev died in Moscow. He was being treated in a military hospital and had been suspected for coronavirus infection," the source said.

The source did not specify details regarding the reason for Burilichev's death.

Burilichev was born on August 13, 1958 in St. Petersburg (former Leningrad). In 1980, he graduated with honors from St. Petersburg Naval Institute, formerly known as the M.

V. Frunze Higher Naval school, and started to serve on board nuclear-powered submarines of the Northern Fleet.

In 1992-1996, Burilichev was the commander of the K-461 Volk nuclear-powered attack submarine, which was performing complex missions in remote areas of the Atlantic. Volk was credited with discovery of the newest US submarine with ballistic missiles in a zone of dominance of the US anti-submarine forces. The Russian submarine was secretly tracking a US ballistic missile submarine for a long time. Burilichev was awarded the title of the Hero of Russia for this mission.

From October 2005, Burilichev headed the main department of deep-sea research of the Russian Ministry of Defense, which is engaged in research, study and works at deep waters of the World Ocean.