Explosion at aerospace forces commander Alexander Chaiko’s anniversary: general Igor Erusalimov secretly buried in Moscow under FSO guard

Explosion at aerospace forces commander Alexander Chaiko’s anniversary: general Igor Erusalimov secretly buried in Moscow under FSO guard

A farewell ceremony for 53-year-old Russian Defense Ministry General Igor Erusalimov was held in Moscow under heightened security measures. The ceremony took place on August 4, with the burial itself held on August 5 at Troyekurovskoye Cemetery.

It was this closed-door procedure—complete with metal detector checkpoints, a cordon by the Federal Protective Service (FSO), National Guard troops, and an honor guard from the Aerospace Forces (VKS)—that drew public attention.

The events have given rise to speculation that Erusalimov may have been the close friend of Aerospace Forces Commander-in-Chief Alexander Chaiko who was among the guests at his 55th birthday celebration and sustained fatal injuries in a restaurant explosion.

Official agencies have refrained from providing detailed comments on the circumstances surrounding the Defense Ministry general’s death. However, the large-scale deployment of law enforcement personnel at Troyekurovskoye Cemetery has only reinforced accounts of his high-ranking status and the high-profile nature of the tragedy.