Victor Gaiciuc (born 12 March 1957) is a Moldovan military general, who served as Moldovan Minister of Defense from 2001 until 2004, 2019 until 2020 and 2020 until 2021. He was also the National Security Advisor to former president Igor Dodon. He is currently the chairman of the Union of Officers of Moldova and was also the secretary of the Supreme Security Council. Biography Victor Gaiciuc was born on 12 March 1957 in the village of Pepeni, in the Sîngerei District of the Moldovan SSR. He graduated from the Kharkov Air Defense High School (now the Ivan Kozhedub National Air Force University) in 1978 and then studied at the Lenin Military-Political Academy from 1986 to 1989, later obtaining the scientific title of Doctor of Historical Sciences. In between that time, he was pilot of the Soviet Air Force, commanding aviation regiments in Ukraine and Belarus. After graduating in 1989, he became responsible for training personnel in the Belarusian Military District. In 1993, Gaiciuc returned to the newly independent Republic of Moldova, where he is appointed as a chief specialist in the Ministry of Defense. On June 3, 1997, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense, responsible for staff training, military legislation and international relations. That same year, he began to take courses at the NATO Defense College in Rome. He was removed from his position on 7 April 1999, becoming a commissioner in the ministry and serving in that position for one year. He was reappointed as deputy defense minister in April 2000 who was responsible for international cooperation. Defence Minister (2001–2004) By a parliamentary and vote of confidence on April 19, 2001, Colonel Gaiciuc was appointed as the Minister of Defense in the Government of Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev, with Gaiciuc being promoted to brigadier general just 10 months later. In early 2004, he awarded three Moldovan soldiers serving in Iraq with the Medal of Merit. He was dismissed from office on 15 October 2004 by presidential decree after the Supreme Security Council made an appeal for his dismissal, criticizing his work in the defense ministry and finding him responsible for the theft of arms. Diplomatic career On 12 January 2005, Gaiciuc was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Moldova to the Kingdom of Belgium and concurrently representative of the country to NATO. He held these positions for close a year before additionally becoming the ambassador of Moldova to