Antoshkin was drafted into the
Soviet Armed Forces in August 1961. He was sent to the
Orenburg Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots, graduating in 1965. Antoshkin was promoted to
lieutenant on 29 October 1965. He became a pilot, squadron chief of staff and flight leader in a separate reconnaissance aviation regiment in the
Belorussian Military District. He was promoted to
senior lieutenant on 6 December 1967. Between 1969 and 1970 he was a flight commander in a separate reconnaissance aviation regiment in the
Far Eastern Military District. He received the rank of
captain on 30 December 1969. Antoshkin graduated from the
Gagarin Air Force Academy in 1973. On 29 June he was promoted to
major. He became a squadron commander and deputy commander of a training reconnaissance aviation regiment in the
Odessa Military District. Between September 1975 and June 1979 Antoshkin led the
87th Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment in the
Turkestan Military District. He was promoted to
lieutenant colonel on 19 September 1975. On 22 February 1977, Antoshkin was awarded the
Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR 3rd class. During March 1979 the regiment conducted reconnaissance missions over Afghan territory. In June 1979 he was transferred to command the
11th Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment in the
Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. On 27 December, Antoshkin was promoted to
colonel. He became commander of the Air Force of the
20th Guards Army in May 1980. After graduating from the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1983, Antoshkin was appointed commander of the Air Force of the Central Group of Forces and deputy commander of the group. onto the crater of the reactor until 5 May, by which time the fire had been contained. For his leadership, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the
Order of Lenin on 24 December 1986. In August 1988 he was transferred to become commander of the Air Force of the Central Asian Military District at
Almaty. In November 1989 he became commander of the Air Force of the
Moscow Military District. He was promoted to
lieutenant general on 25 April 1990. On 28 November 1991 he was awarded the
Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR 2nd class. From November 1993 to March 1997 Antoshkin led Russian Air Force Frontal aviation. He was promoted to colonel general on 10 June 1994. On 28 August 1995 he received the
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" 4th class. In 1996 he was made an honorary citizen of Kumertau. Between November 1997 and September 1998 he was deputy commander of the Air Force for combat training and head of Air Force combat training. Antoshkin became an honorary citizen of Mordovia around this time. He retired in September 1998. == Later life ==