 He took the , graduating in 1992, and in 1993 took command of the Project 671RTM/RTMK "Shchuka" nuclear attack submarine "B-524".This was followed with an appointment as deputy commander of the 33rd Submarine Division of the Northern Fleet.Fedotenkov graduated with honours from the N. G. Kuznetsov Naval Academy in 2000, and from then until 2002 served as chief of staff of the 7th Submarine Division of the Northern Fleet, and then as its commander from 2002 until 2005.