According to the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Mishustin, has announced a leadership change at the Federal Customs Service. In St. Petersburg, Valery Pikalev has been appointed to head the agency, a move that was reported by RIA News as part of a broader government update. The report places Pikalev’s appointment within a formal chain of command and emphasizes that the decision comes from the highest level of the executive branch. The official confirmation underscores the government’s intent to realign leadership within the Federal Customs Service as part of ongoing public administration reforms.
Earlier, following the departure of the previous head of the Federal Customs Service, Vladimir Bulavin, Ruslan Davydov was designated as acting head, with the appointment taking effect on February 10, 2023. This interim assignment was communicated through the government’s channels, signaling a transitional period intended to maintain continuity in the agency’s operations while a permanent leadership arrangement was determined. The move reflects a pattern of governance where the executive branch assigns interim leadership as deliberations proceed on longer-term appointments.
By a formal order from Prime Minister Mishustin, Valery Pikalev was named the head of the Federal Customs Service. The press service of the Council of Ministers confirmed the nomination, noting that the decision had received official validation. Pikalev’s ascent to the top position within the FCS is presented as a strategic step in aligning the agency with the current policy priorities of the federal government, including efficiency enhancements, compliance with international trade standards, and strengthened border controls. The announcement situates Pikalev’s background within the context of his career and previous service in related security and administrative roles.
Valery Pikalev, born in 1968, pursued his education at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in St. Petersburg and subsequently graduated from St. Petersburg University. His professional trajectory spans several decades of service, beginning in the late 1980s with military duties in the Armed Forces of the USSR and continuing through the post-Soviet period in the Russian Federation. From 1986 to 2018, he held roles that included security leadership responsibilities in regional government structures, particularly the administration of the Leningrad Region. Since 2019, Pikalev has been active in St. Petersburg’s governance, serving as deputy governor and heading key administrative departments under the city’s governor. This blend of security experience and regional administration is highlighted as part of the profile considered for the FCS leadership role, with the expectation that it will inform the agency’s approach to risk management, customs enforcement, and cross-border collaboration.
In related remarks, the acting head of the Federal Customs Service, at that time, addressed concerns regarding regional and international perspectives, including comments about the behavior of some Baltic countries and Finland. The statement reflected a broader dialogue around regional security, diplomatic signals, and the role of the customs service in monitoring and responding to cross-border developments. These remarks were presented in the context of ongoing policy discussions and were interpreted as part of the service’s mandate to balance enforcement with international cooperation, while maintaining the integrity of trade procedures and border management across the federation. Overall, the leadership changes at the Federal Customs Service are framed as a move to strengthen governance, improve responsiveness to evolving trade dynamics, and ensure alignment with national policy objectives.