He also served in the Baltic region, the Russian Far East, and the North Caucasus, eventually as commander of the 36th Combined Arms Army (2003–2007), before becoming deputy commander of the Moscow Military District in 2007.

[2] His awards include the Order "For Service Before the Fatherland," Fourth Class (Орден «За заслуги перед Отечеством» IV степени), The Order of Courage (Oрден Мужества), the Order "For Military Merit" («За военные заслуги»), and the Order "For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR," third class (Орден «За службу Родине в Вооружённых Силах СССР» III степени), as well as other medals.

[2] In December 2013, Chirkin was removed as the commander of the Russian Ground Forces by Vladimir Putin for bribery charges.

Subsequently (August 2015), he was sentenced to five years in a labor colony.

He was also stripped of his military rank of "colonel-general" and most of his state awards.